Is there a way to prevent anyone from viewing my files if I lose external harddrive?

[Randel1980]

I lost my flashdrive few months ago and all my accounts and passwords stored in it got hacked. I have like almost hundred of accounts like gmail, microsoft, aws, ebay, paypal, vultr, digital ocean with different strong passwords that I couldn't remember.

 

I have recovered most of my accounts and I want to prevent similar event in the future, so I'd like to know how to  prevent anyone that is not me from viewing files inside portable flashdrive/harddrive?

[EpiCheeseTime]

Encryption and not storing passwords on a flash drive. Use a password manager.

[Levent]

You keep your passwords in plain text in a flash drive? Well you asked for it. I never keep important data unencrypted, I use veracrypt containers or I just encrypt the whole drive. Most importantly never keep my passwords on a USB drive.

[DoctorNick]

So let me get this straight. You had all of your passwords on a USB drive and was talking it with you, and didn't have it encrypted? 

[kelvinhall05]

Did you just have plain-text passwords on an unencrypted drive? Lmfao

 

 

Use an actual password manager and encrypt the drive.

[Chionele]

Start using BitWarden and encrypt all your drives.

[LWM723]

Encrypt it. Try Veracrypt.

[Randel1980]

1 minute ago, DoctorNick said:

So let me get this straight. You had all of your passwords on a USB drive and was talking it with you, and didn't have it encrypted? 

Yes and also in my laptop.

[flashiling]

holy moly you got mauled by people disliking the fact that you don't encrypt your passwords, and i'm gonna join them

don't keep your passwords in plaintext, especially on removeable media

[EpiCheeseTime]

Man wish this was a troll...

 

Password managers are great. They create super complex passwords that you do not need to remember. They can autofill so you never copy or paste and you just need to remember the master password...

 

There are plenty of encryption softwares or goodies out there. Just steer away from the ones hackers use.

[EpiCheeseTime]

Just now, flashiling said:

holy moly you got mauled by people disliking the fact that you don't encrypt your passwords, and i'm gonna join them

don't keep your passwords in plaintext, especially on removeable media

I wouldn't say mauled. Just really really REALLY got the "im disappointed in you" parental speech.

[flashiling]

Just now, EpiCheeseTime said:

I wouldn't say mauled. Just really really REALLY got the "im disappointed in you" parental speech.

never seen 5 people comment on a post in less than 1 min before that's what i meant  but you're right "mauled" probably makes it sound more extreme

[EpiCheeseTime]

Just now, flashiling said:

never seen 5 people comment on a post in less than 1 min before that's what i meant  but you're right "mauled" probably makes it sound more extreme

I think we were all being hopeful that it was a troll. Then we got into it...and got internal sadness.

I had a VP do the same exact thing...brings back so many sleepless night lol

[Oshino Shinobu]

As others have suggested, encryption, as well as using a password manager rather than storing in plain text. 

 

Also, enable MFA on any service you can. Even if someone breaks the encryption and gets into the password manager, they still can't access your account without your MFA device/code.

[WkdPaul]

As @Oshino Shinobu said ; on top of encryption and a password manager (like keepass if you want to stay offline), enable MFA on all the accounts that allow it. And don't use MFA as a failsafe and keep storing your passwords in plain text, while it helps, some MFA can be circumvented (it's a LOT harder though, but still)

[Gibs960]

A password manager is probably a safer bet than storing passwords as plain text or just encrypting the whole drive if you really need to have them written down. 

[LogicalDrm]

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