
Some USB flash drives are hidden in pens, making them unidentifiable as a flash drive, unless one pulled each end of the pen to pop it open and saw the USB connector. Because these devices are so small, they can be packaged in almost any shape or item. USB flash drives have been known by many other names over the years, including thumb drive and USB pen drive. This makes it more difficult to identify a person's browsing habits. For example, Internet browsers may be used that will store any history and temporary files on the flash drive. Also, a number of programs are specifically designed to run from a USB flash drive rather than a hard disk. Compression may also be used, allowing more data to be stored on the device. Encryption may be used, protecting anyone from accessing data on the device without first entering a password. This is similar to the write protection that could be used on floppy disks, making it impossible to modify or delete any existing data, or add additional files to the device.Īlthough USB flash drives offer limited options in terms of their hardware, a number of flash drives will come with software that you can use for additional features.

In doing so, any data on the device cannot be modified, allowing it to be easily analyzed. USB flash drives often provide a switch that will set write protection on the device. When you need it, you can insert the USB flash drive into the USB port on a computer, or into a USB hub that allows multiple devices to be connected to one machine. The connector is then covered with a cap that slips over it, allowing the device to be carried in a pocket or on a key fob without worry of damage. USB flash drives are constructed of a circuit board inside a plastic or metal casing, with a USB male connector protruding from one end. The storage capacity of these drives ranges from 32MB to 64GB. However, whereas flash memory cards require a reader to be installed, USB flash drives can be inserted into the USB ports found on most modern computers.

Like flash memory cards, they are removable and rewritable, and have become a common method of storing data.

USB flash drives are small, portable storage devices that use a USB interface to connect to a computer. Littlejohn Shinder, Michael Cross, in Scene of the Cybercrime (Second Edition), 2008 USB Flash Drives
