Are Encrypted USB Drives Actually Worth It?

As portable storage declines in favor of cloud services, the question of whether an encrypted USB drive is worth it has moved from convenience to security. Cloud storage, AirDrop, and messaging apps have replaced what USB drives did best, but is there still a reason to use these drives outside of the psychological comfort of keeping your most precious data out of the cloud?

The main reason to have an encrypted USB drive is to protect data if the device is lost or stolen. If a thief does not know the USB drive's code, it is almost impossible to access the data. Hardware-encrypted drives have built-in AES encryption, a global standard that automatically encrypts every file on the device itself, rather than via software on a computer. It also does not appear as storage on a computer until the passcode is physically entered, meaning hackers cannot bypass this measure with software. Most USB sticks have a set number of incorrect attempts before locking the device entirely.

For most people, the data they store in cloud storage services and share with friends is not highly sensitive. Someone gaining access to your private photo album, Google Workspace files, or master's thesis may be inconvenient or potentially embarrassing, but it might not be catastrophic. Unless you're regularly dealing with sensitive, private materials, you may not need to lug around an encrypted drive. 

Beyond being inconvenient, encrypted USB drives can also cost significantly more than regular ones. A 32GB drive typically costs over $100, while a 128GB drive can run over $200. Expect this to rise with the current RAM shortage.

Finally, even though these devices are typically all-weather and tamper-resistant, they still use flash memory, which has a finite number of write cycles and can fail without warning. Performance will degrade, and a regularly used device needs to be replaced within five to ten years.

There are still a few specific use cases where an encrypted USB drive makes sense. In the business world, having sensitive data saved outside the cloud can be critical for a variety of reasons, including secure transfer between locations, moving data in and out of a system not connected to the internet, and for industries with strict data protection standards. 

Ultimately, encrypted drives are not obsolete, but they have become more specialized in the world of asynchronous communication and cloud storage. For consumers, copies of foreign passports, financial documents, and anything else that could have serious consequences if posted online could be candidates for storage on an encrypted USB drive. They offer the highest level of security through AES encryption and brute force protection. They're also valuable in places with limited internet access, though a non-encrypted USB stick will do the job for much cheaper.