Don’t throw away that old 4GB flash drive — it’s your best security tool

I have a bunch of old phones lying around in my drawer. Out of the lot, I’ve turned one into a security camera with a free app that gives me an extra set of eyes in places I want. I’ve converted another phone into a high-quality dash cam, which gives me the best features of dedicated hardware for practically free. Aside from a bunch of old phones, I have a bag full of old USB flash drives, out of which most are still in working condition.

Since I had already put a few of my old phones to good use, I began searching the internet to see if I could find a better purpose for them. I found that although the 4GB USB drive is not good for massive file storage, it is actually a perfect canvas for a dedicated offline security tool. Here is how you can also turn your old 4GB flash drive into a security device.

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USB drive to digital bodyguard

That desk junk could be a powerful security tool

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf

Thanks to the aggressive marketing and ads, most of us believe that cybersecurity or any digital security-related tool is all about expensive hardware and complex firewalls. But that is not always true.

And because the old 4GB flash drive can’t be used for daily file transfers (for low speed and less storage space), I thought of using it to serve a dedicated purpose. I was also fascinated by how secret agents in movies plug a drive into a computer to bypass security or hack the entire system. Fortunately, that isn’t that complex, and you can do that too at home with an old 4GB flash drive.

We all have a bunch of important stuff on our computers. Leaving it unattended even for a while can be stressful. What if someone accesses it? What if my data is stolen? That is not a sight I would like to imagine.

To avoid such situations, I needed a foolproof and instant way to lock my computer without fumbling with my keyboard or setting up complex security systems.

No need to spend a dime

Free tools make your USB drive a shield

Credit: 
 

Assuming you already have an old USB flash drive lying around your house, creating a security tool out of it is practically free of cost. You don’t need to spend on purchasing software or any hardware to get started.

In my research, I came across software tools such as the USB Raptor and Predator. These are available for free and are quite popular for converting USB flash drives into security tools.

These programs run quietly in the background of your computer and tie your system’s lock screen to the physical presence of your USB flash drive. Meaning, once you plug in your USB drive, you will have access to your PC. However, as soon as you unplug it, your computer will get locked.

Thanks to this, you can attach your flash drive to your keychain. You can sit down in a café, plug the USB drive into it to unlock it automatically. The moment you need to grab a coffee or step away, you can unplug the USB drive, and your system goes into lockdown mode.

Also, you can use your USB flash drive as a security toolkit that has all of your portable apps. This way, you can run software without leaving traces on any computer. Since they do not write anything on the host system or require Windows registry entries, you can have a USB flash drive that is a self-contained workspace.

How to make a physical lock key

It’s fairly easy, and anyone can do it

For this purpose, we will use the open-source platform called USB Raptor. It simply places a tiny and encrypted file on your flash drive and constantly checks if the file is plugged into the computer or not.

Here’s how you can turn your old USB drive into a security lock key:

1. Download the USB Raptor SourceForge tool onto your computer.
2. Extract the ZIP file and open the USB Raptor.exe file. Install the program on your computer.
3. Launch USB Raptor and agree to the terms prompted.
4. Type in a strong password in the Password field under the Encryption section. Do note that you will need this password if you ever lose your USB drive and need to unlock your PC manually.
5. Select your connected USB flash drive and click on Create k3y file. This puts the secret file onto your USB drive.
6. Make sure to click on the Enable USB Raptor button.

To test it out, simply unplug the USB drive. Your screen should instantly lock. Plugging it back in should unlock it automatically. Switching over to the Advanced Configuration option shows you options such as controlling lock behavior, lock features, high-security options, and managing the network lock sync settings.

OS

Windows

Pricing model

Free

Run portable apps on a flash drive without leaving a trace

There are a bunch of portable apps on a flash drive without creating a disorganized mess. The free platform called PortableApps acts like a Start Menu for your thumb drive.

Here’s how you can turn your portable security toolkit:

1. Head over to PortableApps.com and download the installer.
2. Run the installer.
3. Accept the terms and conditions.
4. Select New Install.
5. Choose Portable in the Install Location page.
6. Select your USB flash drive and press Install.
7. Once installed, you will be presented with a long list of free portable software that you can install on your USB flash drive.
8. Since we are creating a security toolkit, I would recommend selecting these apps:
   1. KeePass (password manager)
   2. BleachBit (file wiper)
   3. ClamWin (portable antivirus)
9. Click Next, and the platform will download and install them on your flash drive.

Now, whenever you plug this drive into any computer, you can open the Start.exe file to launch your personal security dashboard.

OS

Windows

Developer

PortableApps.com

How to create an encrypted secret vault

It creates an encrypted volume on a USB stick

You can also put that old flash drive to good use by creating an encrypted secret volume. It appears as unformatted or random data when unmounted and as a normal local drive when you mount it.

Here is how to create one:

1. Download the VeraCrypt Portable tool and install it on your computer.
2. Launch the application and click on Create Volume.
3. Click on Create an encrypted file container and then Next.
4. Choose the Standard VeraCrypt volume.
5. Click Select File, navigate to your USB drive, and type a name for the safe vault. Click Next.
6. Now select the encryption type (leave it to the default AES) and choose the size of the vault. If you are using a 4GB drive, then select 2GB for vault space and the rest for your portable apps.
7. Type a strong password.
8. Click Format.

To open the hidden volume, launch VeraCrypt -> click Select File -> click Mount -> enter the hidden volume password. When successfully mounted, the hidden volume will appear as a separate drive.

OS

Windows, Linux, macOS

Developer

VeraCrypt

Give your old tech a new life

It is amazing how you can convert an old and unused tech gadget into something meaningful and useful. A 4GB flash drive might sound useless for storing our content, but it has the exact amount of storage to lock down your PC, clean up malware, or hide your sensitive files. There are a bunch of other ways you can repurpose the old USB drive for good use. Following the above easy steps, you can convert your old USB drive into a security toolkit.