The Benefits of Encrypted USB Drives

Maybe you and a few associates at work exchange presentations via thumb drive.

Or perhaps you own one or more of these thumb-sized devices and find them as a convenient means of transferring information from your desktop to the laptop computer.
 
Identified by various names, USB flash drives have become the latest phenomenon in the evolution of portable technology.  

According to a recent study from Gartner, a prominent research firm, nearly 80 million of these units were sold last year alone. A more surprising revelation may be the fact that most consumers who purchased these items did so with little thought in regard to the drive’s security structure.

These drives are simple in design, consisting of a re-writable memory chip along with the standard USB connector. They are very small and can be easily placed on a key chain with the rest of your ornaments. Because the devices are so small and susceptible to theft, they can be easily lost, stolen or fraudulently used for malicious purposes.

Data Encryption to the Rescue!

The popularity behind flash drives is apparent - they’re cheap, portable and easy to use. In truth, these devices have a much greater purpose other than attaching to traditional storage devices. They have the ability to connect a computer to a mouse, keyboard, printer, and many other peripheral items.

 Flash drive manufacturers have not only taken note of the device’s widespread use, but it’s vulnerabilities as well. The new wave of technology has introduced consumers to USB flash encryption. This advanced method puts a virtual clamp on your portable storage device, deeming stolen or lost devices useless to potential intruders.

The more recent data encryption solutions enable laptop or desktop computers to encrypt data before it is completely written to a storage unit such as a USB drive. This is a feature found in many software-based encryption products. Devices using encryption software can be configured in a way that enforces strong security policies and prevents unauthorized users from circumventing the process.

Some provide access to the internet along with additional protection as you surf the web. The strength of USB security manages account passwords, granting you with easy access to your favorite network sites. Many encrypted flash drives also support online data backups and keep you protected against common internet threats, such as spyware and financial scams. All of these features are packed within a tiny device that allows you to take the contents of your computer anywhere.

The Secure Facts

Although file encryption has proven to be an efficient method of USB security, flash drives that contain built-in cryptographic algorithms or biometric authentication schemes account for less than 10% of those sold on the market. This reverts back to the fact that many consumers simply do not take reliable security implementations into consideration.

While the numbers are staggering, experts are confident that these statistics will change as more personal users and large corporations understand the risks behind the use of unprotected drives. This factor has already taken effect as more government and IT-related environments prohibit staff members from using flash drives that are not encrypted.