How to create a portable encrypted USB key using TrueCrypt

Last Updated: 18/11/08

TrueCrypt 'Traveler Mode' provides secure encryption for programs/files on portable devices such as USB memory keys.It uses strong encryption for storage, and results in secure file storage that is highly portable, and can be backed up safely without compromising security.
To create an encrypted USB memory stick we perform the following steps:

• Install and configure the required software on a blank USB Stick (steps 1-4)
• Create an encrypted file that acts as a secure file container (the encrypted drive) on the USB drive. (steps 5-12)
• Create a backup of the encrypted drive password header (for backup in case password is lost) - This is VERY IMPORTANT.
  

Step 1

Download TrueCrypt 6.0 at www.truecrypt.org.Double-click on the exe. file or desktop shortcut. Choose Extract to unpack the files. Connect your USB key and delete or move all current contents.

Step 2

Browse to the extracted file area and double-click the TrueCrypt icon.

Step 4

Go to Tools and choose Traveler Disk Setup from the drop down menu.

Step 4

Hit Browse to choose your USB drive. Choose Auto-Mount volume (you must specify the proposed name of your TrueCrypt volume e.g. secure_drive_file). Tick Open Explorer for mounted volume,this is conveniant when you connect a drive. Tick Cache password in driver memory.This means that you only need to enter the drive password once while the key is connected. Click Create to proceed.

Step 5

To create a new Volume, Select Volumes from the menu and Create New Volume...

Step 6

Select Create a file container. Note: This approach creates a file that is used by truecrypt to provide a secure storage space for other files. It is fixed in size, and we recommened that it occupy 90% of the available space on the drive. Click Next.

Step 7

Select standard TrueCrypt volume. Click Next.

Step 8

Hit Select File and enter your USB location i.e.E:\. Name the filename the same as the filename specified in step 4 and hit Save.Warning: Do not select existing files - TrueCrypt will not encrypt any existing file, if selected, existing files will be overwritten and lost. Click Next.

Step 9

Select AES from the drop-down menu. Note:AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is recommended for two reasons.First,it's the fastest algorithim of the available options,and it's the encryption standard recommended by the US Government for commercial use;and has been certified for use on US classified documents. Select the default Hash algorithm and click Next.

Step 10

Specify the size you want to allocate to the TrueCrypt container - we recommened that you leave about 10% of available space free for technical reasons. Click Next.

Step 11

Choose a strong volume password and confirm it.Click Next.

Step 12

To generate the Header and Master key, move the mouse randomly within the window for at least 30 seconds.The longer you move the mouse the better, as it increases the strength of keys used for encryption.Click Format to create the TrueCrypt Volume. Depending on the size of the container file, this step may take several minutes. This is the final step to create a TrueCrypt encrypted USB key.

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