Protecting our data with passwords is one of the most basic actions we can take. Of course, passwords are far from perfect, and even the creator of their essential rules has apologized for the inconvenience they cause. Fortunately, passwords are flexible enough to shield individual items, and that includes USB drives. In the past we taught you how to put passwords on a pendrive using VeraCrypt, but today it's the turn of USB Safeguard, a compact and very easy-to-use application.

Our love-hate relationship with passwords hasn't changed much. They are the first line of defense for protecting information, and at the same time, a frustrating resource that causes many headaches. The main problem users face is managing their passwords. Their number multiplies as the number of services increases, and sooner or later we make the mistake of repeating passwords to avoid thinking too much. If you are one of those who forget passwords, don't worry: previously we recommended the best password managers that do most of the heavy lifting for you, and we also shared a couple of methods that reveal passwords hidden behind asterisks in browsers. The idea is that you take control of your passwords and have no doubts when it comes to taking care of other aspects of your digital life with them. One of the best examples is protecting a USB drive, which requires a little external help.

How to protect a USB drive with a password using USB Safeguard

How to Protect a USB Drive with a Password
The program doesn't offer much in terms of interface, but it works.
  1. Download a copy of USB Safeguard. The free edition supports USB drives with a maximum capacity of 4 GB. If you want to protect larger pendrives, you will need to purchase a license.
  2. Copy the installer to the USB drive you want to protect. We recommend that there be no data saved at first, since the program will ask permission to format the drive to NTFS.
How to Protect a USB Drive with a Password
The encrypted virtual drive uses the Z: designation.
  1. After formatting, return to the drive and run USBSafeguard.exe. The software will ask for a password, its confirmation, and a reminder (which is optional).
  2. To access the encrypted section of the drive, open USBSafeguard.exe once again and enter the password. This will create a virtual Z: drive that will stay "mounted" until the application is closed.
How to Protect a USB Drive with a Password
"Place your files here!"

USB Safeguard was recently updated and uses 256-bit AES, quite decent security for the case. Now, if you think you need an extra layer of protection, you can always place your files inside an encrypted zip or rar, or protect your documents with passwords one by one using other dedicated applications. Redundancy is your ally, and don't forget to make backups.