What is the best password protection for Seagate STDR5000200 external hard drive?
The Seagate STDR5000200 external hard drive we have contains every piece of data for our business such as databases and Microsoft office files.
It is locked in a safe for a month at a time.
For a few hours, this Seagate drive would be out of the safe for backing up PC and server data.
The data to backup is on Windows PCs and servers with operating systems such as Windows 10, 7 and XP.
This drive is replaced each month at a time by another drive which contains backup data.
The Seagate backup drive is not connected to a PC or to the cloud.
I believe this drive may not need encryption.
The reason being that if a thief steals it, the fact of them being a hacker is a billion to one.
What is the best password protection for Seagate STDR5000200 external hard drive?
Thanks,
Robbie
It is locked in a safe for a month at a time.
For a few hours, this Seagate drive would be out of the safe for backing up PC and server data.
The data to backup is on Windows PCs and servers with operating systems such as Windows 10, 7 and XP.
This drive is replaced each month at a time by another drive which contains backup data.
The Seagate backup drive is not connected to a PC or to the cloud.
I believe this drive may not need encryption.
The reason being that if a thief steals it, the fact of them being a hacker is a billion to one.
What is the best password protection for Seagate STDR5000200 external hard drive?
Thanks,
Robbie
I agree with the above, but if the drive is in a locked safe except when under staff supervision, the data may be safe. Your choice here with respect to encryption.
ASKER
Thank you CES IT and John Hurst for your replies.
I would like to password protect the external hard drive but I would also like to keep it simple.
It will be disconnected 99% of the time as it will be in the safe and offline.
I do not think encryption is a major need but I would like to find a very good source of password protection nonetheless.
Ideally I am looking for a solution that would make the following true:
- External hard drive files would not be accessible unless password is entered
- External hard drive could be plugged into any PC and the password protection would work, i.e. no software to install on PC
- Data is important so should be a reliable source of password protection
- If the hard drive has to be encrypted for password protection then decryption should be easy to carry out if needs be.
What would be the best tool/ third party software to use with the Seagate STDR5000200 external hard drive to achieve the above?
I would like to password protect the external hard drive but I would also like to keep it simple.
It will be disconnected 99% of the time as it will be in the safe and offline.
I do not think encryption is a major need but I would like to find a very good source of password protection nonetheless.
Ideally I am looking for a solution that would make the following true:
- External hard drive files would not be accessible unless password is entered
- External hard drive could be plugged into any PC and the password protection would work, i.e. no software to install on PC
- Data is important so should be a reliable source of password protection
- If the hard drive has to be encrypted for password protection then decryption should be easy to carry out if needs be.
What would be the best tool/ third party software to use with the Seagate STDR5000200 external hard drive to achieve the above?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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StorageCrypt - BestCrypt are other encryption tools
another useful methods : https://beebom.com/how-password-protect-external-hard-drives/
here some free tools :
freeHide Folders and truecrypt (free encryption) : https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_vista-security/can-i-password-protect-an-external-hard-drive/78840998-c810-4dcf-9659-518548833cd9?auth=1
another useful methods : https://beebom.com/how-password-protect-external-hard-drives/
here some free tools :
freeHide Folders and truecrypt (free encryption) : https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_vista-security/can-i-password-protect-an-external-hard-drive/78840998-c810-4dcf-9659-518548833cd9?auth=1
It sounds as though you want to prevent an ordinary thief from stealing your drive and accessing all of your business data and files. You noted: "The reason being that if a thief steals it, the fact of them being a hacker is a billion to one."
While the average thief might be stopped by a password prompt, thieves tend to have friends. These days it is really easy to pull a drive out of an enclosure or a computer and access any unencrypted files by connecting it to another computer. Seriously, kids can do this.
As noted by CES IT, every solution suggested above, except for BitLocker that is now standard on Windows 10 (except for Home Edition), requires the installation of software on a PC. You specified, "i.e. no software to install on PC." BitLocker can be also be enabled on Windows Server 2008 and later.
I've hunted in the past an recently for an easy, portable tool for locking an external drive. I now use VeraCrypt, a successor to TrueCrypt which is no longer developed. I like VeraCrypt, but it is not simple.
So BitLocker is the way to go if the "no installation" aspect is essential. That desire is understandable. Installing encryption software on a computer can make significant changes to it. There is also the worry that the installation will fail or won't work (or you can't get it to work) with the encrypted external drive. BitLocker reduces those concerns.
BitLocker has a learning curve, but it is well documented on the Web and widely used. You should be able to get help as needed, including here on Experts-Exchange, if you had any trouble. Don't forget to keep your password in several highly secure places - we can't help with a lost password!
While the average thief might be stopped by a password prompt, thieves tend to have friends. These days it is really easy to pull a drive out of an enclosure or a computer and access any unencrypted files by connecting it to another computer. Seriously, kids can do this.
As noted by CES IT, every solution suggested above, except for BitLocker that is now standard on Windows 10 (except for Home Edition), requires the installation of software on a PC. You specified, "i.e. no software to install on PC." BitLocker can be also be enabled on Windows Server 2008 and later.
I've hunted in the past an recently for an easy, portable tool for locking an external drive. I now use VeraCrypt, a successor to TrueCrypt which is no longer developed. I like VeraCrypt, but it is not simple.
So BitLocker is the way to go if the "no installation" aspect is essential. That desire is understandable. Installing encryption software on a computer can make significant changes to it. There is also the worry that the installation will fail or won't work (or you can't get it to work) with the encrypted external drive. BitLocker reduces those concerns.
BitLocker has a learning curve, but it is well documented on the Web and widely used. You should be able to get help as needed, including here on Experts-Exchange, if you had any trouble. Don't forget to keep your password in several highly secure places - we can't help with a lost password!
ASKER
Thank you CES IT, nobus and Wells Anderson for your responses.
I have researched BitLocker and some third party password protection solutions.
BitLocker is a good solution as all PC data being backed up is on Windows PCs.
Data is backed up every month on PCs with operating systems such as Windows 10 Pro, Windows 7, Windows XP, etc.
The data on the Windows XP PCs is the most important as they have years of data on them.
The Seagate hard drive we have been using for backing up data has a NTFS file system.
Unfortunately, I have read that external hard drives, locked by BitLocker, can not be unlocked on Windows XP PCs if the external hard drive has a NTFS file system.
Is there a way around this or should I focus on third party password protection such as VeraCrypt?
I have researched BitLocker and some third party password protection solutions.
BitLocker is a good solution as all PC data being backed up is on Windows PCs.
Data is backed up every month on PCs with operating systems such as Windows 10 Pro, Windows 7, Windows XP, etc.
The data on the Windows XP PCs is the most important as they have years of data on them.
The Seagate hard drive we have been using for backing up data has a NTFS file system.
Unfortunately, I have read that external hard drives, locked by BitLocker, can not be unlocked on Windows XP PCs if the external hard drive has a NTFS file system.
Is there a way around this or should I focus on third party password protection such as VeraCrypt?
I'm not sure how you'd go about password protecting a single external drive otherwise.