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I'm re-asking this question because the existing question is 9 years old and I assume there's been improvement since then.

I have a portable USB drive and if I lose it I don't want someone else then accessing my source files. So what are good, and rock solid methods to encrypt the drive?

On Windows (latest version).

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5
  • TrueCrypt still holds high even today, but BitLocker is a good alternative. Just make sure you store the encryption key somewhere else, eg on your pc's TPM
    – LPChip
    Commented Jul 13, 2023 at 14:00
  • I changed program to methods to allow the question to be relevant for this site as looking for software recommendations is not allowed. +1.
    – Reddy Lutonadio
    Commented Jul 13, 2023 at 14:00
  • Without an operating system I am voting to close this question as requiring additional details
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jul 13, 2023 at 16:26
  • Should remove "best" from the title as this is opinion-based now.
    – Destroy666
    Commented Jul 17, 2023 at 17:05
  • @Destroy666 - done. thank (good advice).
    – David Thielen
    Commented Jul 18, 2023 at 2:56

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While VeraCrypt is still highly regarded, if you plan to share the USB with others, or use it on another machine, consider using Zip compression with AES-256 encryption. This has the advantage of being usable without additional software in many operating systems, or portable 7-Zip could be included on the USB (Windows version of 7-zip runs well on Linux, too, under wine, and there's a Mac version, as well). Within the same archive can be sub-archives with different passwords, allowing one to share some data but not all.

Of course, it depends on the value of the information to a third party. One casually finding a lost USB, or even a determined thief, likely cannot break AES-256. A state agency might make the effort to try, if they believe the data might be valuable or a threat.

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  • 2
    TrueCrypt isn’t highly recommended. Since it’s no longer maintained or secure, it’s community replacement, is actually Veracrypt.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jul 13, 2023 at 16:26
  • @Ramhound, thanks... that was a moment's forgetfulness, and is corrected.
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Jul 13, 2023 at 16:28
  • It's all my source code, in the solution folders, that I edit, run, push to GitHub, etc. So a zip file is not a good solution. thanks
    – David Thielen
    Commented Jul 13, 2023 at 19:31
  • What about BitLocker?
    – David Thielen
    Commented Jul 18, 2023 at 2:57
  • @DavidThielen If you want to have direct access to the contained files, VeraCrypt would be the way to go. But be aware that USB thumb drives are usually equipped with the cheapest flash memory available on the market. Therefore IMHO an external SSD would be more suitable if you want to store important data on it and directly work on the drive (not just use it as backup).
    – Robert
    Commented Jul 20, 2023 at 15:06

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