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I'm currently using a completely unprotected SANDISK Ultra 256GB and want to secure my files on there. I made a quick google search and found a device called Skydigital Ezsafe Lockdock which simply encrypts your harddrive.

So is there a USB-Stick version? Is there an adapter which encrypts your existing USB-Stick and adds a fingerprint module between USB-Port and your stick and your stick is encrypted without this module?

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    From looking at the "Skydigital Ezsave Lockdock" description, this looks like snake oil. There's no way it offers any "security" with just an at most 8 digit PIN. The encryption algorithm (AES 256) is irrelevant to the security of the device as it's vulnerable to brute-foring the encryption key. There's so much to say on the webpage for this product it won't fit in a comment, but as an advice, avoid this product, or any similar one.
    – A. Hersean
    Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 8:51
  • @A.Hersean Yeah I know. It does, but I like the idea to use a existing drive. Is this theoretically possible? Did you get my thought?
    – Tomblarom
    Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 8:56
  • also, your snakeoil product is more expensive than a new SSD – and modern SSDs have proper encryption with (afaik) arbitrary-strength keys. Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 10:26
  • @A.Hersean I don't know about that specific device but it's very possible to implement strong security using a 8 digits PIN. All there is to it is have a secure storage area where a strong encryption key is stored protected by that PIN.
    – Stephane
    Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 13:05
  • @Stephane, yes, but the description page seems so fishy it's more likely they just hash the PIN and use it to encrypt the AES key. There is a way to check it: if the drives are interchangeable between their products, that means there's no trusted store used.
    – A. Hersean
    Commented Dec 1, 2016 at 13:23

2 Answers 2

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Why not use BitLocker? BitLocker To Go is exactly what you need. Allows for quick and dirty encryption on removable drives. Instructions included below.

http://infosec.nmsu.edu/instructions-guides/how-to-enable-bitlocker-to-go-for-external-hard-drives-and-usb-flash-drives/

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It is definitely possible to make an adapter that overlays crypto on top of any other storage drive - you could even make one yourself with a small computer like a Raspberry Pi.

However it would have to use an actual password, keyfile or smartcard instead of a fingerprint - the issue with fingerprints is that unlike any static data which could be passed on to a hashing function (or more specifically a key derivation function), a fingerprint scan is fuzzy and will always be slightly different, making the use of a hash impossible and forcing the crypto device to know the actual encryption key beforehand and only release it if the fingerprint matches.

If the device uses fingerprints then it would already have the decryption key in hand and an attack on it would be quite easy and would reveal the key.

Finally, have you tried using reputable software disk encryption solutions? On Windows you have VeraCrypt (one of the successors of TrueCrypt), on Linux you've got the former as well as LUKS. You can use those on any unencrypted storage drive.

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