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The very Useful USB flash drive...

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  • The very Useful USB flash drive...



    A great addition to your BOB is a USB flash drive. A flash drive allows you to carry copies of your personal documents, legal documents, insurance policies,photos, proof of identity, files, windows settings etc. So when you hafta leave dodge you will have digital proof of who you are, what you done, what you have and all sorts of other info.




    I prefer the 'hardened' version by Corsair called the Survivor. Tough little Son of a gun and water resistant to deeper than you can swim ;)

    With 4 GB of data protected by TrueCrypt I have pictures, .pdf and word documents at my disposal should I be stranded from home. Also my IE Favorites as well as email and snail mail addy's are on here so I can 'borrow' a computer and have access to my needs!




    For work I also carry some free spyware/antivirus programs, Registry editor and network configuration utilities that my company does not/will not provide. These drives are not 'hardened' but work quite well for my needs. Add a few S&P .pdf's to read in my spare time and you have a bunch of info for your needs!

    I encourage all of you to read Shane's Blog (good stuff) about listening to Katrina. Alot of my thoughts on this came from this Blog.

    Shane suggests you convert these files to digital format and keep them with you in your BOB (his BOB has a laptop). I suggest you have several copies of this data and ENCRYPT it!!!

    From Shane's Blog:http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/

    Letters, postcards, and other correspondence.

    Data and files from your place of business, if allowed by company policy.

    Digitized copies of video or sound recordings that cannot be replaced.

    Digital address book. (Windows Address Book is actually portable. Search for .wab files.) You can print this out and have a hard copy in your BOB. If a digital address book doesn't work for you, then keep a good paper one.

    Investment and retirement account information.

    Information about other financial accounts.

    Information regarding membership in clubs and organizations.

    If it is important keep a copy of it!!!



    Finally, I learned of this flashdrive from www.prepcast.info in episode 9. Sounds pretty secure. They are pricey but sometimes your data is as well!

    From www.ironkey.com

    Hardware Encryption
    Your IronKey is literally packed with the latest and most secure encryption technologies, all enabled by the powerful onboard Cryptochip. Rather than employing "homegrown" cryptographic algorithms that have not undergone rigorous cryptoanalysis, IronKey follows industry best practices and uses only well-established and thoroughly tested cryptographic algorithms.

    All of your data on the IronKey drive is encrypted in hardware using AES CBC-mode encryption.

    Always-On Encryption
    Because your IronKey implements data encryption in the hardware Cryptochip, all data written to your drive is always encrypted. There is no way to accidentally turn it off or for malware or criminals to disable it. Also, it runs many times faster than software encryption, especially when storing large files or using the on-board portable Firefox browser.

    Encryption Keys
    The encryption keys used to protect your data are generated in hardware by a FIPS 140-2 compliant True Random Number Generator on the IronKey Cryptochip. This ensures maximum protection via the encryption ciphers. The keys are generated in the Cryptochip when you initialize your IronKey, and they never leave the secure hardware to be placed in flash memory or on your computer.

    Two-Factor Authentication
    Beyond simply protecting the privacy of your data on the IronKey flash drive, the IronKey Cryptochip incorporates advanced Public Key Cryptography ciphers that allow you to lock down your online IronKey account. That way you must have your IronKey device, in addition to your password, to access your online account. This highly complex process runs behind the scenes, giving you state-of-the-art protection from phishers, hackers and other online threats.
    Last edited by Zombie Axe; 02-15-2009, 06:44 PM.
    73

    later,
    ZA

    Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to
    beat you to death with it because it is empty.

    The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.


  • #2
    Very cool, I especially like the corsair cased one. I have a program you may interested in that our computer guy at work loaded onto my flash that is fairly useful, PM me if you are interested.

    Comment


    • #3
      Cool, just scored a pair of 4GB Iron Keys :D They are in HIGH demand and hard to find :eek:
      73

      later,
      ZA

      Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to
      beat you to death with it because it is empty.

      The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

      Comment


      • #4
        It's posts like this that make me realize how totally un-technological I am.:(

        Comment


        • #5
          Think of it as a CD/DVD that is rewritable, editable and portable that works any XP/vista machine with a USB port...

          IOW it is your data to go...
          73

          later,
          ZA

          Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to
          beat you to death with it because it is empty.

          The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

          Comment


          • #6
            There are also some OS that will fit on it and u can run them form it. One of the good ones is called BackTrack (it is Free Where / Open sorce) it also has all the pen testing programs bileted into it ;) with these programs u can test networks and see where the breaches are. i run this on my main computer and also from a flash drive bothe have all my programs and i am never with out a network i can hop on to :p
            Last edited by AlphaWolf; 02-18-2009, 06:20 PM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Yeah, AltaVista and Hackin9 magazine feature BackTrack, and it is LOADED with goodies. As far as usb drives, I like the Hardened version of the Corsair, for a survivalist standpoint, the law is the relatively low capacity. Most of my USB flash drives are in the 32 and 64 gig variety. The Ironkey is great for security, till you lose your password, then POOF it is gone. LOL... I do like the fact that someone recommended and used True Crypt... use it on my Mac's and PC's, works great, and the multitiered layers of encryption, as well as the encrypted drive in a encrypted virtual drive is a very nice feature...and the price is right, FREE. Personally, I have over 200 gigs of *information* on various subjects, that would be well suited to being on USB flash media... only problems I have had with them, is reliability... and hopefully as they progress their lifetimes will extend.

              Comment


              • #8
                Very True hazenoff, that is why I like multi copies in different formats :)
                73

                later,
                ZA

                Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to
                beat you to death with it because it is empty.

                The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

                Comment


                • #9
                  usb shelf life

                  i was talking to my brother and he was telling me that usb are for temp files only. he said that files go corrupt after about 1-2 yrs. and you can no longer access the contents if they sit on the usb for to long told him he was full of s***. i couldn't find anything to back this so here i am asking you guys if im right or is he. PLEASE HELP?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I like these Flash drives. I have some with OS's on them as well as "how to" files and they work fine. To just surf the net I have some OS's on them and small CD's. I use them on a computer that has no hard drive. They can not be written to which means no Virus's or Trojans. If you go to a friends house you can use them there and their hard drive will not be accessed. My sister let her idiot Kid on her computer and he screwed it up for her. So I made her a small CD with an OS that she uses and does not tell the Idiot about. There's all kinds of neat stuff out there and much of it is free.
                    If your files are on a DVD you can access them on your TV if you don't have access to a computer at some time.
                    Simply use a search engine to find these cute items and learn how to use them, that's what search engines are for. :D
                    Mike

                    "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow the fields of those who don't."-Thomas Jefferson

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Macs and Linux

                      I have two Mac laptops and an Asus eee which is linux. The macs (both) eat flash drives. I get a message saying I have disconnected improperly. This when the flash drive is sitting in the usb port and NOTHING at all has happened. Most often, the data is lost, too. Nobody but me seems to have this problem, though. At least I haven't found any complaints (or solutions) online.

                      The eee (which is my bug out laptop since it weighs nothing and works fine) often doesn't recognize a flash drive's contents. This would be annoying at the wrong time.

                      I think I'll stick with hard copies of the really important stuff.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I'm using the SanDisk U3 "Cruisers" with my BO mini notebook (HP 2140) with no problems.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by denvernative321 View Post
                          i was talking to my brother and he was telling me that usb are for temp files only. he said that files go corrupt after about 1-2 yrs. and you can no longer access the contents if they sit on the usb for to long told him he was full of s***. i couldn't find anything to back this so here i am asking you guys if im right or is he. PLEASE HELP?
                          Flash drives have an internal memory system, powered by a very small onboard "battery". If a flash drive is allowed to sit for a lengthened period of time, the power source inside of it will slowly diminish, and can corrupt files.

                          This is similar to having a 9v battery inside of a clock that is usually powered by AC current. Unplug the clock, and the time remains, you just can't see it. Leave it unplugged, and the battery will eventually die.

                          Flash drives themselves will NEVER corrupt any file stored on it, as long as it is used fairly regularly. When you plug your FD into a USB port, it not only gets power to operate, but also allows some of that power to charge the internal power source.
                          "Reject the basic assumptions of civilization, especially the importance of material possessions." "The things you own end up owning you"-Tyler Durden

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Thanks for this post...I saw on other threads where people said the carried them but had no idea why. I have been enlightened.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I don't believe modern day USB / Flash drives using NAND technology have any sort of battery or require any power to perm store their data, feel free to research this
                              WHAT IF THE AMERICA YOU KNEW, WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE?

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