How to Password Protect an External Hard Drive

With the use of external hard drives comes the problem of securing information in the hard drive. External hard drives are often used to backup important and sensitive files, and they are often used to transport data from one location to another location and are subsequently subject to theft or access by unauthorized persons. Even an external hard drive in an office environment can be vulnerable to theft or the privacy of the information on the hard drive compromised. Therefore, it is reasonable to take steps to make sure that unauthorized persons do not have the ability to access sensitive information should the external hard drive become available. To do this, the obvious remedy is to password protect the external hard drive.

Programs that add password protection to an external hard drive or a small external hard drive such as a USB or flash drive will include the ability to hide your files and folders and/or the ability to encrypt your files and folders. Therefore, these programs offer a more effective security package. Software programs are available that are free and others that are pay downloads. The pay versions may offer better security and more features.

Hide Files & Password Protect

Free Hide Folder: This is a freeware program that will hide an unlimited number of selected files and folders on a removable drive including a small external hard drive with no installation and allow later access by password. This program works on all platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux.

SecureNTFS: An alternative is to hide your files so only you can locate them. This can be done with a program such as SecureNTFS. Of course, you can then locate and access your files where ever and whenever you want, but others that gain access to your drive will have a difficult time locating your files. When you are through working on your files, just release and unplug your drive and the files will automatically be closed and secured.

Quality of Encryption

Unfortunately, while the use of passwords is a deterent, the fact is that passwords are easy to bypass, if you know how to do it. File permissions on a computer are also a deterent but are also easy to bypass. Hiding a program on a drive is an additional precaution that is worthwhile. But the best way to actually protect your information is by encryption. There is no bypass to encryption. While encryption is not absolutely dependable it is the strongest means of protecting information on a hard drive. 

There are free encryption software and pay software programs. Free encryption programs use a fairly reliable method, but it may not be as good as you wish to have. Some people suggest that if you can afford it, encryption software that you purchase is likely to provide higher quality encryption that cannot easily be cracked. Costs will begin at about $40 dollars. Pay encryption programs include SecureZIP, McAfee, PGP Whole Disk Encryption by Symantec, Check Point Software Technologies.

Encryption & Password Protect

TrueCrypt: One free open-source encryption software program that will do the job is TrueCrypt. Many people rely on TrueCrypt including some law firms. This program will protect entire hard drives, hard drive partitions, and a small external hard drive, USB, and on individual files and folders. TrueCrypt will run on Windows (including XP, Vista, and 7), Mac, and Linux; therefore, this system is versatile and safe to use on a removable drive that will be used on a different computer with a different O/S platform. With this program, your file system will operate in the usual drag and drop manner, however, encryption is in real time. That means that when a file is transferred into the drive, it is encrypted automatically as soon as it enters.

TrueCrypt supports hidden folders and files, which means that should a thief have the password, they will have a difficult time locating the files and folders.

Also note that True Crypt can create an encrypted partition within your computer’s internal hard drive. If you want to just designate a certain amount of space as an encrypted partition within your computer, this can easily be done and may be an excellent idea for sensitive information. The encrypted partition will look like a folder to you.

Note that True Crypt software will have to be installed and configured on all computers that might host the external hard dive.

TrueCrypt is an encryption program, so files encrypted by TrueCrypt are visible to any user of the drive. That means that anyone with access to the drive can view, copy and delete the encrypted drive. However, TrueCrypt can be used in co-ordination with SecureNTFS, which will hide the files encrypted by TrueCrypt. Note that your external hard drive, including your flash drives or USBs, must be formatted to NTFS for use by SecureNTFS. This can easily be done; see reformatting instructions on the SecureNTFS website (www.securentfs.com).

Also note that should you wish to encrypt an entire drive, whether your computer’s hard drive or a removable drive, you must first remove all of your files and folders to another hard drive. Then allow True Crypt to create an encrypted partition of the entire drive area. In this approach all information on the drive will be encrypted.

Alternatively, you can keep your files and folders on your hard drive by designating a certain amount of space as an encrypted partition. With this approach your entire drive will not be encrypted, just the designated partition on your drive. All sensitive information will have to be moved into the encrypted partition in order to be protected.

StorageCrypt is another free encryption option. This program requires manual encryption when files and folders are placed in the system for security, and must be manually decrypted when files and folders are removed for access. This can be an advantage when you wish portions of an external hard drive to be left unencrypted so it is available to others. This is done by setting files and folders you wish to remain unhidden and accessible set to “public”, while “private” portions that were encrypted will remain hidden.

Files can be decrypted on any Windows OS computer without the installation of software. The files can then be encrypted on the same Windows computer. An external hard drive can be encrypted, and will then be hidden accept when accessed on a computer for decryption using the installed StorageCrypt program.

Lockngo is another alternative that will encrypt and hide your entire portable drive (Windows and Mac) with the need to install a program.

Password Selection

The selection of a password is very important. Many people select a simple and "easy-to-remember" word or series of numbers. This kind of passwords have little value and can be easily deciphered or bypassed.

You should make it a little more difficult.

When choosing a password, select a combination of numbers and upper-case and lower-case letters at least 8 characters long, preferably 12. If the program allows, also select one or more puncuation marks such as "%" or "!". The idea is to select a password that is impossible to guess, not one that is especially easy to remember.

After you have selected a password, write it down and store it at two different locations so that it can be found if you need it. Password selection is a key element in how to password protect an external hard drive correctly and efficiently.