Password-protection or encryption on USB sticks

Si_Clist

My wife and I keep a folder of essential documents on a USB stick and we would be happier if this wasn't easy for someone to open if we lose the USB stick.  Given that we're both old codgers who are not up to speed with this stuff, I thought the answer would be to get one of those USB sticks with built-in encryption, but a pal of mine reckons they're not straightforward to set up.

So ... has anybody used a particular one of these USB sticks and found it to be a doddle to set up and use?  Or is there a way to just password-protect the folder on an ordinary USB stick without having to either buy software to do the magic or trust our sensitive information to a website/the cloud?

If it makes any odds, we're using Windows 11 Home.

flaneurs_lobster

Could I ask what is the purpose of this particular device and the documents stored thereon? Are they static documents (birth, marriage certs) or dynamic (latest bank statements, utility bills).

Are they a backup of physical documents? Are these documents stored securely? Do you have further electronic copies of these documents?

Do you carry the stick around with you? I'm wondering if there is a need for a device that is designed for data mobility if you are simply looking for a second or subsequent storage device.

Andy_L

What operating system are you using?

Some versions of windows include USB encryption by default 

fenlander_uk

There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube. Either search YouTube for 'encrypt usb stick' or try this one: https://youtu.be/hMyP7GJgF4o
Veracrypt is an excellent free tool that works across all the major platforms. I install it as standard on all the devices I use.
Easy download here: https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6578-veracrypt.html

Si_Clist

Andy_L said:

What operating system are you using?

Some versions of windows include USB encryption by default 

As stated in my OP, Windows 11 Home, which does not have Bitlocker ...

Si_Clist

flaneurs_lobster said:

Could I ask ... 

I simply want to secure a folder on a USB drive.  Either that or secure the whole drive.

Si_Clist

fenlander_uk said:

... Veracrypt is an excellent free tool that works across all the major platforms ...

Thank you for your suggestion.  It seems a bit overkill for what I need, but if there's no way of simply putting a password on the folder, I guess it's the way forward.

Barnibonn

It used to be stored on floppy disks, then disks, then flash drives, and so on. So don't bother

fenlander_uk

Si_Clist said:

fenlander_uk said:

... Veracrypt is an excellent free tool that works across all the major platforms ...

Thank you for your suggestion.  It seems a bit overkill for what I need, but if there's no way of simply putting a password on the folder, I guess it's the way forward.

You don't have to encrypt the whole usb stick. You can also create encrypted containers on any drive, including a usb stick. They can be of any size you choose.

Vitor

If you're using Office to keep the data in Word, Excel etc. open the document, go to File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password, and set the password on each document.

PRAISETHESUN

Vitor said:

If you're using Office to keep the data in Word, Excel etc. open the document, go to File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password, and set the password on each document.

Office "encryption" should be used at best just to restrict accidental editing, not as an actual security solution. Much better to use bitlocker or veracrypt as discussed above.