USB Flash Drives for the Traveller

How to carry your data SECURELY, and some suggestions to help it to help you.

As a busy traveller who is a constant visitor to internet cafes around the world, I carry a USB Flash Drive to save my important data and to store files that I wish to transfer to and from my laptop. Flash Drives have many uses, but care must be taken if the USB Flash Drive is to remain a useful part of your travel equipment, and not a threat. This article discusses ways to use a Flash Drive, warns of some of the problems, and advises on techniques to secure your data against loss and theft.

What is a USB Flash Drive?

The USB Flash Drive, also known as a USB Memory Key, Memory Pen, or Memory Stick, is a highly portable computer storage device that can be carried in a pocket, purse, or wallet. Typically the size of 2 cigarettes, they are a very convenient way to carry files and documents between computers, and are especially useful to travellers who spend much time away from their home computer. Many leading brands are available, including Sandisk, Kingston, Lexar, Swissbit, and Toshiba. A range of capacities are there to suit all needs, and the costs for the smaller sizes are cheap enough for any budget. On Windows XP and above, the Flash Drive is 'Plug and Play', meaning that it can be plugged into any USB socket without the need to install driver programs on that computer. Windows will recognise what it is, and install it straight away. It can then be accessed using the usual 'My Computer' or 'Windows Explorer' links. Further technical information on the USB Flash Drive can be found on this WikiPedia page.

The USB Flash Drive has transformed the way travellers carry their data about, and how they work on the internet whilst travelling the world. Not so very long ago, we all carried floppy discs. Remember them? A tiny 1.4MB capacity. Easily damaged by heat, humidity, sunlight, moisture, magnetic fields - they were a traveller's worse nightmare, no matter how indispensable we all thought they were. The USB Flash Drive has changed all of that. Capacities are increasing all the time. Once 2GB was thought impressive. Now, 16Gb is quite common, 256GB is available now (at a price!) and no doubt this will increase still further as technologies advance. With this kind of storage in something so light and compact, the traveller has a great resource open to them. Most of the average traveller's data storage needs have been solved. However, use of a USB Flash Drive carries some problems as well. It may get lost or stolen, leaving you without vital information or making your data vulnerable to abuse. More likely is the constant threat from Viruses that are resident on the computers you plug into at the Internet Cafe. These can cause loss of data on your Flash Drive, and can even introduce Viruses to your laptop back at your hotel, causing further damage. We will start by looking at some of the problems related to USB Flash Drives, then carry on to their more helpful aspects.

Lost USB Flash Drives

The small size of a USB Flash Drive makes them very easy to carry in a pocket or purse, but that same small size makes them easy to lose, too. It can happen by accident, when it falls out of your pocket, when a zipper is left open, or when you forget to remove it from that internet cafe computer after your session is finished. How can people identify it to return to you? There are two ways: some information on the case, or some information stored inside.

I prefer the first method, as it has the advantage that anyone finding it can return it to you - they do not need a computer to find who it belongs to. You can write your name and address on a small adhesive label that you stick to the case of your USB Flash Drive. You might want to include a small message as well, such as 'REWARD OFFERED IF YOU RETURN THIS TO THE ADDRESS BELOW'. In order to make sure that the label remains legible, I use a small piece of clear plastic, of the type used when protecting a book jacket. The piece I have on my current Flash Drive has been there for 6 years, and is still in good condition despite being in my pocket for quite a bit of that time. I guess Sellotape or Scotch Tape would also work, though may not be so durable.

The second method depends on the finder of your USB Flash Drive understanding what it is, and then having a computer with USB port that he can insert it in, to see what it contains. It also assumes he speaks your language, and knows what 'README.txt' means. We are making a LOT of assumptions here. In a third-world country, where the local language is more dominant than yours, it may be unlikely that any of the above conditions will be met. However, if you feel confident that someone will understand what to do, then store a text file in your USB Flash Drive's root directory (the one you see when you first load it) called something like 'IMPORTANT-README.txt' or 'REWARD_IF_YOU_READ_THIS.txt'. The file should contain your name and snail-mail address, and your phone number, and email address too. A message promising a reward if the finder returns the Flash Drive to you will be helpful. Better still if you mention the value of the reward. An amount such as '100 US Dollars' is recommended. If you think that sounds a lot, and are tempted to mention a smaller amount, don't forget that the reward is there to tempt the finder to spend HIS OWN money first in mailing it to you, in the hope that you will pay the amount specified. If you mention just 10 or 20 dollars, he may not think that it is worth the effort. Would you?

Stolen USB Flash Drives

If your USB Flash Drive is stolen, and stolen by a human, not a monkey, you can be reasonably sure that the thief knows what it is, and how to access it. It is important to anticipate this happening, and thus ensure that the thief will not find anything of value, or information that could be used to access online accounts, card pin numbers, or sufficient details to take over your online identity. This happens a lot: make sure it doesn't happen to you.

There are 3 ways to deal with data theft:

1. Disguise the data
2. Encrypt the data
3. Delete surplus data

Disguising data is a method of hiding data in a place where the thief would not identify it as being useful. A simple example is the hiding of a pin number in your address book. One of the entries could be for 'Uncle John', and lists his address and telephone number. The thief is unlikely to know that you don't have an uncle called 'John', and so won't realise that the middle 4 digits of his telephone number is actually your pin number. Another advantage of this method is that the thief doesn't even realise that there IS a secret concealed in this way.

However, whilst it is easy enough to hide a pin number in an address list, the same cannot be said of a Word document, a pdf file, or a large list of passwords. Another technique is needed: it is called 'Steganography'. This is the method of hiding data in seemingly innocuous items, such as a picture or an .mp3 file. Read more about this here, where you will also find links to online resources and downloadable programs that will do this for you.

A more straight forward method of safe-guarding files is by encrypting the data stored on your USB Flash Drive. However, this method is not without its disadvantages: If a thief is examining your files and finds that one folder is encrypted, he will be reasonably sure that it contains something of value, and will therefore go to great lengths to try and discover the contents. It is therefore necessary to have some method of securely encrypting these files, and hoping that the encryption is sufficient to stop a determined hacker, or at least make him fed up with the quest and give up. Please bear in mind that practically any encryption can be broken eventually, given enough time and resources, so if you are trying to hide information from the CIA, you will probably need better tools that are available for free download on the web! If, however, you are just trying to save your list of online passwords (which the CIA probably know already!) then an internet search for 'file encrypt software' will turn up a variety of programs that may be useful to you. My last USB Flash Drive even had such a program installed already. Whatever program you use, PLEASE read the comments about virus file-renaming and over-writing below, and make sure you have another method of decrypting your documents if the first method gets deleted.

One aspect of sensitive data is often over-looked by the computer user: the question of deleted data. The important file on your USB Flash Drive that you have just deleted has not been wiped when you press the Delete key, it has just been removed from the list of accessible files. I am assuming that everyone empties their Recycle Bin of important files, or deletes them using Shift-Delete, which bypasses the Recycle Bin completely. The data is still there, though, even if your computer doesn't know how to access it, and there are a variety of file-recovery programs that can recover deleted data. This may be quite useful if you have accidentally erased all the pictures on your photo-card, but not so useful in the hands of a thief who is examining your stolen USB stick! It is therefore essential when you have finished with an important file on your USB stick that you not only delete it, but erase it in such a manner that it cannot be recovered in the future. The way to do this is to use a program that over-writes the location of your file with random data. A variety of programs are available, though I prefer 'Eraser', which you can find more about here. It is also available in a 'Portable' version, so that it can be run from your USB Flash Drive without installing on the host computer - this is especially useful for the traveller visiting Internet Cafes. More about Portable Applications below.

Dealing with Viruses

Although I use an Anti-Virus program on my computer, the same can't be said for many of the internet cafes that I visit. Maybe they do have Anti-Virus software, but it is not the latest version of the program, or the updates are not current. In many cases, the 'Automatic Updates' feature of the program is turned off, and the virus database that is there is many months out of date. A traveller using these computers just can't rely on the Anti-Virus software provided, and needs to take his own measures to keep his data safe and secure, and avoid carrying new viruses from the internet cafe back to his laptop.

My USB Flash Drive has been infected many times, with viruses. Sometimes I need an anti-virus program to clean it again, and other times I can do this myself. To deal with viruses, it is useful to understand the kind of action they might take, and then to prepare your USB Flash Drive to spot and prevent their presence before anything bad happens.

My first method is to be aware of when my USB stick becomes infected. The following method applies to Windows XP, but will be similar for 'Vista' users. Plug your USB stick in a convenient USB socket on your computer, then start 'My Computer', or 'Programs >> Accessories >> Windows Explorer'. Click on the drive letter corresponding to your USB stick. If the 'Folders' panel is not visible on the left, click 'View >> Explorer Bar >> Folders' to turn it on. Next, you need to make sure that you are seeing all the files on the stick, including the hidden ones and the system ones. Many viruses will attempt to disguise themselves as system files, or use confusing icons such as Folders (Directories). Click 'Tools >> Folder Options >> View' to show the 'Advanced Settings'. Check the radio button 'Show hidden files and folders'. Clear the boxes for 'Hide extensions for known file types' and 'Hide protected operating system files'. The second one will ask if you are sure - answer 'Yes'. Check the radio button for Managing pairs of Web pages: 'Show both parts and manage them individually'. Click 'OK'. Note that by making these changes, you haven't effected the way the computer works in any way, you have simply made it more transparent to you, and made it harder for viruses to hide themselves.

Next, click the column-header marked 'Type'. This will sort your files by the type of file they are. Folders at the top, and other types below. If you see a folder below all the other folders, this could be a common type of virus picked up on Flash Drives. It will look like a folder, but note that its name is suffixed '.exe' indicating that it is a program. If you had the option 'Hide extensions for known file types' checked, as most people do, you would click on it to see what the 'folder' contains, and instead start the virus installing itself.

One very common trick played by viruses on your Flash Drive is to create a virus, with a folder icon, INSIDE another, existing folder. for instance, if you have a folder called 'Photos', the virus will create a file in that folder called 'Photos.exe', with a folder as its icon. This has happened to me more times than I care to remember, and is very annoying. It goes without saying that you shouldn't click on this file. You can easily delete it before it causes any harm, but the problem comes when you realise that any existing files with the same name will have been over-written by this virus. Perhaps you keep some programs on your USB stick, such as the Portable Apps mentioned below. They are very useful, as they can be run on the Internet Cafe computer without having to install them. You might, for instance, have a browser program named 'firefox.exe'. But, if you keep this program in a folder that is also named 'firefox', then the virus will overwrite your browser program with a virus.

This happened to me whilst travelling in Africa, but what happened then was that the program I used to encrypt sensitive files was over-written, with the result that I couldn't access any private files, passwords, or contact details! I emailed the company for a new program, and they sent me a version that didn't work with my files. With infrequent internet access in Africa, it took me nearly a month before I could view my data again! Don't let this happen to you. Its easy to prevent this happening, by renaming either the program or the folder so that each have slightly different names. For the browser example, I'd leave the program as it is, and rename its folder 'Firefox Browser'.

To be extra sure that a vital program, such as my file encrypter program, is always there when I need it, I would suggest making a copy of the '.exe' file, and then renaming its suffix. For instance, I would copy my program 'encrypter.exe' to another folder on the USB stick, and then rename that copy to 'encrypter.doc'. A virus will not overwrite such a file, and if I ever need to use it, I simply rename the file back to 'encrypter.exe' again, and it becomes a fully working program. Just remember not to try and open 'encrypter.doc' with your Word Processor program!

Lets now create a strategy to deal with hidden items on your Flash Drive. Click 'File >> New >> Folder' to create a new folder, and name it 'HIDDEN FOLDER'. Right click the folder, choose 'Properties', check the box 'Hidden', and click OK. As long as you can still see this folder at all times, you will know that hidden items on your computer are on show. If, one day, you don't see this folder, its an indication that something, probably a virus, has changed settings without your knowledge.

When a USB stick is inserted into a computer with a virus, one common action is to copy one or more viruses to the stick. But how do the viruses actually start running when the stick is brought back to your own laptop? A typical way is by using the 'Auto-Run' feature on Windows. When the stick is inserted, Windows looks for a file called 'autorun.inf'. If it is there, Windows will follow the command stored in it. This file is used quite legitimately by other programs, so don't think that it is always a threat. Looking at my own USB hard drive, I see one there. To look at what it contains, right-click on the file, choose 'Open With' (NOT 'Open'), and from the list of programs, choose 'Notepad'. The file on my own USB hard drive has the following contents:

[autorun]
icon = .\Maxtor_Portable.ico

This innocuous command merely associates an icon with the drive. However, if there are commands that command a program file (suffixed .exe, .com, or .bat) to execute, and especially if you are not sure what that program does, you should be very wary of your 'autorun.inf' file. Personally, I prefer not to have any such files on my USB stick. If I want a program to operate, it is easy enough to click on it as usual, or use a shortcut. If you are not sure about your own file, re-name it to 'autorun.inf.old'. Windows will not run it automatically, and you have cut another possible avenue for viruses to take over your laptop. I always keep an eye on my USB Flash Drive's root (home) directory, and see if a new 'autorun.inf' file appears unexpectedly. If it does, I can be sure that a new virus is trying to take control.

It should go without saying that your laptop should have Anti Virus software installed, and that the virus definitions should be kept up to date. This is not always easy to do on the road, but you should try and update whenever possible. There are many Anti Virus programs about, and everyone has their favourites. Over many years of computer ownership, I have tried most of the more famous ones, with varying results. I have yet to find one that I am completely happy with, that works the way I want it to, and doesn't take over my computer in the process. Currently, I am using the 'Home' edition of Avast Anti Virus, which you can download free for non-commercial usage from http://www.avast.com/. One feature I especially like about 'Avast' is that it will do a start-up scan of your computer, when it first turns on. This catches many new virus installations that other programs miss, and is especially useful for a traveller's laptop.

Things to do with your USB stick

Now you've read all about the problems of USB Flash Drive usage, lets turn to the positive side of things. What can a USB stick be used for, and how useful is it for the traveller or backpacker? In a word, VERY. You can start by storing your password lists, important documents, your flight details, address book, passport copies. How about a spread sheet so you can keep track of your budget? Some extra .mp3 music files for you iPod. Copies of all your photographs taken so far, plus photos of friends and family back home, to show to new friends along the way. Your internet bookmarks and favourites. Drivers for some of the other electronic items you have with you. Some eBooks you keep meaning to read. A movie or two. Lonely Planet even sells .pdf versions of their guidebooks these days.

Its no good, however, having all this data, without a way to view or manipulate it. Most Internet Cafe computers have few if any applications installed on them, so how can you view, create, or amend those files on your USB stick without them? With painfully slow connections in many parts of the world, its just not worth downloading a software suite, and often the Internet Cafe computers are locked anyway, and don't permit the installation of new software without Administrator status.

The answer, as you have probably guessed, is to keep the programs that you will need for your travels on your USB stick. Not the original, full programs, that have to be installed on the computer before they will work, but so-called 'Portable Applications', or 'Portable Apps' for short. These are thinned-down versions of the original programs, often with full functionality, that run from your USB Flash Drive without installation. They can therefore be used despite the locks and security policies in place at the Internet Cafe. Lots of different applications are already available, and more are being added all the time.

Your first port of call for Portable Applications should be the website of http://portableapps.com/. Here you can find a platform for a selection of portable apps that include internet browsers, email clients, anti-virus, instant messaging, image editors, pdf readers, password managers, audio players, even a complete office suite! You can develop new websites, play portable games, watch movies, zip and unzip files, backup your data, and try a new operating system. And lets not forget the portable Planetarium, for all those nights Overlanding in the desert...

Here's how the PortableApps people sum it up:

Should that not be enough for you, try an internet search for 'portable applications'. Many sites show up, including Portable Freeware who have over 1300 applications, and a Wikipedia list of currently converted applications.

Tips on Using USB Flash Drives

One common problem with USB Flash Drive users is the loss of the plastic cap that covers the USB connector. Some Flash Drives have retractable covers, whilst other types have the cover fixed to the body. Some manufacturers supply spare covers, recognising that they are frequently misplaced. My Flash Drive is like this, so I drilled a small hole in the cover and tied it to the body with a short length of button-thread. This has lasted very well over the last few years, and is an easy and useful modification to make.

One program that everyone wants on their USB Flash Drive, but for which the manufacturers have so far not obliged, is the internet telephone package 'Skype'. However, a bit of searching has revealed 2 pages that tell you how to do this: Making Skype portable on a USB stick - U3 Drive and Making Skype portable on a USB stick - non-U3 Drive.

If your computer runs a little slow, you might try 'Defragmenting the hard disc, which basically groups all pieces of a program or data file together, speeding the file system up considerably. You might therefore think that a USB Flash Drive that has been in use for a while should be defragmented as well, but this is not advisable. Flash Drives can be defragmented, but this brings little advantage as there is no mechanical head slowed down by having to move from fragment to fragment. Flash Drives often have very large internal sector size, so defragmenting means accessing fewer sectors anyway, when, for example, erasing a file. More importantly, defragmenting SHORTENS THE LIFE OF THE DRIVE by making many unnecessary writes.

If you have any more tips on using USB Flash Drives that you would like to share, or other comments about this page generally, please contact me: the email address is on the Contact page.