How to Secure Data on Flash Drives

To ensure that the data you place on a USB flash drive is secure, you must properly eject the flash drive from your computer. Simply yanking the flash drive from a USB port without following the proper ejection procedure can prevent a flash drive from securing the information placed on it. Securely ejecting a flash drive takes only a few seconds and requires no special expertise.

Instructions

1. Insert a flash drive into a USB port.

2. Click "Start" and "Computer." Click the flash drive icon. A flash drive folder will open.

3. Click and drag the files you want to save on the flash drive into the flash drive's folder. You also may right-click the file, select "Send To" and choose the flash drive from the list that appears.

4. Click the "Remove Hardware" icon in the System Tray.

5. Click "Safely Remove Mass Storage Device." Wait for the pop-up window to appear that says you can now safely remove the hardware. You have now secured data on your flash drive. Pull outward on the flash drive to remove it from your computer.

References

• Wellesley College: How to Use a USB Flash Drive

Resources

• CNET: Flash Drive Reviews