USB peripherals and USB Devices are around for more than a decade and nothing much has changed when it comes to the basic protocols. We do have iterative hardware upgrades that brought increased storage and overall transfer rates. Apart from that, there is almost no change on the security front. Due to the portability and ease of use, we quickly discarded CD/DVD discs and came to rely on USB drives. In fact, the USB storage devices are so portable that we prefer to carry all our stuff on it.

DiskCryptor is a program similar to TrueCrypt that lets you encrypt your USB drive. Once it is encrypted, everything that you store will be encrypted automatically by the program. Jan 4, 2015 - One solution I tried was DiskCryptor, which takes the place of EFS and BitLocker. Now there's just the portable USB storage to secure.

But at the same time, what we don’t realize is the perils of losing our data. To deal with this, we can do two things. One — you should always backup the data on your USB drive somewhere safe, like a cloud drive. Two — you should consider encrypting the USB drive.

Especially, if you are carrying sensitive information. Here are some of the best USB encryption software for you to try. Also Read: What is Encryption If you are new to encryption then the first question that comes to your mind is “what exactly is encryption.” In simple terms, encryption is an act of transforming data using an algorithm so that no unauthorized person can access, read, or modify the data. Generally, most encryption software uses passwords or key files to encrypt and decrypt files and devices.

Due to the security it provides, encryption is one of the most effective ways to achieve data security. Remember the times you’ve entered a password to see the credit card or bank statement received from your bank via email? Well, that is encryption for you.

Related: Do We Really Need Encryption for USB Drives? More often than not, it is not a must. But, if you are carrying personal or sensitive information then you should consider encrypting your USB drive. Unlike a regular hard drive, USB drives are smaller in form factor and easy to lose or forget in public places like coffee shops and airports.

In the event of any mishap, you don’t have to worry about the data on your USB drive if it is encrypted. Because no one can access the data without proper authorization. Also Read: Best USB Encryption Software 1.

Gilisoft has been my personal favorite when it comes to encrypting USB Drives. Apart from its metallic UI which is strikingly outlandish, the program does come bundled with effective encryption features. Gilisoft is pretty easy to use and will run automatically once the USB is detected. Users can choose the size of the encrypted partition and that’s it, the application will automate other processes.

By default, Gilisoft uses the on-the-fly AES-256 algorithm to encrypt all your data. Moreover, in the event of any emergencies, Gilisoft also has a recovery option to recover your data. Pricing: Gilisoft costs you a one-time fee of $49.95. Bradley hand bold italic font. There is a free trial available if you wish to try the software before buying. The trial version is limited to 10 uses. So, don’t encrypt any important data unless you are buying the software. Platform support: Windows only.

While there is a slew of USB encryption software at our disposal not many are actually made for the Mac. LaCie Private-Public is one of the few encryption software that is available both for Windows and Mac OS. One might have already guessed by the name that the tool is of French origin but the other lesser known fact is that it comes from the guys at Seagate. LaCie works seamlessly with both fixed drives and portable drives. Just like the other USB encryption software, LaCie uses AES-256 algorithm to encrypt your files, folders, and drives. The good thing about LaCie is that you don’t have to install it on your machine.