I'm looking for a reliable utility to encrypt USB flash drives, and it needs to work seamlessly on both Windows and Mac. Ideally, I'd like to have an option to create both encrypted and non-encrypted sections on the drive. One more thing is that I don't want to have to install anything on the computers that read the drives since I plan to use this at customer sites for managing proprietary data. I've tried VeraCrypt, which works really well on Windows, but on Mac, it requires installing FUSE, which is a hassle. I've also experimented with Sandisk Private Access, but it has some issues opening on Windows lately, even though it works fine on my Mac with no installation required. Sandisk Security Zone is good too, but it seems to be limited to Sandisk products and needs software installation. Any recommendations?
1 Answer
VeraCrypt is definitely a solid option if you're okay with the installation requirement. It provides strong encryption, but I understand the frustration with needing FUSE on Mac. While searching for the perfectly portable solution can feel like looking for a unicorn, some users suggest using BitLocker To Go on Windows and then exFAT format for compatibility, but this may also lead to limitations on Mac. It's a tricky balance!
I get it! VeraCrypt works great, but the extra installations can be annoying. Have you considered using the built-in encryption options on your devices? They might not provide the flexibility of setting encrypted and non-encrypted partitions, but they're hassle-free for basic usage.