How to Encrypt and Password Protect a USB Stick in Ubuntu

Keeping our devices safe and protected against external threats is very important. This is something we must do both at the software and hardware level. It is essential that we avoid the entry of malware that could compromise us, but also that possible intruders can access our computers by finding out the password. In this article we are going to explain how to password protect and encrypt a USB memory in Ubuntu in a fast and easy way.

Protect a USB stick in Ubuntu

Ubuntu is undoubtedly one of the most widely used Linux operating systems. It has multiple programs and options for users. In addition, it is considered one of the easiest options for those who want to get started in Linux. It offers as standard many tools for our day to day, but we can also install programs of all kinds.

Password Protect a USB Stick in Ubuntu

This operating system has an integrated tool that will allow us to encrypt a disk . In this way we can put a password to a USB memory that we have. In the event that at any time we lose the pendrive or it is stolen, they could not steal the content stored on it.

Keep in mind that nowadays it is very common to use this type of device to store information. For example, share files with friends or colleagues, go to a copy shop to print documents, etc. At any moment we can lose that memory and we could expose very valuable files.

To avoid this, or at least to make it difficult for them to access the content, we can encrypt the pendrive . We can make use of external tools that are available for all types of operating systems. However, in the case of Ubuntu we would not have to install anything, since the system itself has a built-in option for it.

How to encrypt a pendrive in Ubuntu

You simply have to follow a series of simple steps that we are going to explain. Logically the first thing is to have Ubuntu installed. We can install it on our own computer, as well as in a virtual machine within Windows.

Enter Disks

Once we are inside Ubuntu we have to connect the pendrive to our computer. Later you have to go to Disks , where all the units that we have on the computer will appear (hard drives and those USB memories that we have, for example). We are interested in the pendrive that we want to encrypt.

Cifrar memoria USB en Ubuntu

When we are in the position of the image above we will have to hit the Settings button and Format volume .

Format the volume

Once we have given it to format the volume we will have to correctly configure the different sections that it shows us. What we are going to do is erase everything on that drive to later give it a new format and also encrypt it.

We have to click on both Delete and Type . In the first option we can Overwrite the existing data with zeros (slow) and the second we will mark the Encryption option, compatible with Linux systems (LUKS + Ext4).

Formatear volumen en Ubuntu

Checking those options that we mentioned will open two new boxes to put the password and confirm it. We will also see that we can give the name we want to that new volume, which in our case we have put this article.

Set a password that is strong

We have almost encrypted the pendrive in Ubuntu. It only remains to put a key. We will see that when we write the word “weak” appears and as we add characters it appears in green, which means that our password is strong. This serves as a guide to generate one that is really complex.

Our advice to put a good password is that it has letters (upper and lower case), numbers and other special symbols. All this in a random way and that has a suitable length. So we will be creating a key complex enough so that they cannot figure it out.

Format and wait

The last step we have to do is simply hit Format and wait. As we have created a type of slow deletion, this can take a few minutes, depending on the memory and our equipment.

Once this process is finished, we will have the USB memory created and encrypted with a password so that, in case of loss or theft, they cannot see the information that is inside.

In short, following these simple steps that we have mentioned we can encrypt a USB memory with a password. We can do this from Ubuntu, through the Disks tool that it has integrated. We do not need to make use of any external program.