USB Encryption Techniques

USB encryption is very important and got its popularity because everyone wants to prevent the data from being stolen. USB is just a mode of communication between host controller and external devices. It has innovated and later replaced the use of serial or parallel ports because it is less complicated and set up required is cheaper. Now days every professional uses USB flash drives for data transfer. Everyone wants to get its data secured from its competitor. Therefore now it must be clear that why the encryption of data is important. Everyday professionals keep on working on the same thing to device more and more secure algorithm. Security of algorithm is directly proportional to its complexity. If a person wants to have an access over USB drive then he/she will have to enter a specific password which is known as cipher. Cipher acts as the key to the lock of encryption.

USB encryption can basically be categorized into the two following methods:

1. Software encryption: In this method a little part of the USB memory is used to install encryption software onto the USB in order to protect the data from unauthorized usage.

2. Hardware encryption: USB can be protected from unauthorized usage by encrypting its microchip by the manufacturer. Hardware encrypted flash drives are comparatively much costlier and much secured.

Many hardware encrypted USB drives are available in the market with different algorithms on the microchip. They all are successful to some extent but now days; way to hack hardware encrypted drives has also got its existence due to sinful software geniuses known as hackers. It can also be done by removing flash memory and placing it in some homemade computer platform. So following features of hardware encrypted drives are very important to be considered before buying:

1) Drive should be compatible with every operating system that is available in the market.

2) Data transfer should be indicated by the led indicators on the face of drive.

3) Algorithm used for encrypting microchip should be unique and very complicated making it difficult to be hacked.

4) Security controller should be very user friendly.

Choice made by the user between hardware or software encryption does not ensure the full security of the USB. Security also depends on the way the choice of password is made. Generally hackers try to crack the password of the encrypted flash drive. Password is the first and most important soldier to prevent the data from enemy or unauthorized usage. If password is cracked then no matter how strong your encryption algorithm is; data will be leaked out to your competitor. So a great amount of emphasis should be made on choosing password. Following are some of the features of a good password: -

1) Password should not be very small.

2) It should have a combination of letters and words.

3) Lower case and upper case letters should be mixed randomly to make it difficult for the hacker to guess password.

4) Password should be easy to remember by the user.

Lok-IT hardware encrypted USB drive is equipped with all of the above features making it best choice for securing your data.