this post was submitted on 01 Jun 2026
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Yes, you will need Veracrypt available on the computer in order to access the drive. However, you don't need Veracrypt installed. There is a portable version available for both Linux and Windows.
If you have Veracrypt available on all machines in question, you can keep it simple and have the whole drive encrypted.
However, you can also bring the portable versions with you on the same drive: Make a normal (unencrypted) partition the size of the whole drive. (ex-FAT if you want it to work on both Linux and Windows) Then have the portable verion(s) of the program on it as well as a Veracrypt encrypted container file. The encrypted container will be a big, unreadable file on the drive that will require your password to unlock and use. Then store the rest of everything inside the encrypted container.
This is a reasonable way to do it HOWEVER this only protects you against data loss in case of a lost USB stick. If attackers get access to the stick and place it back into your possession afterwards, they can manipulate the portable veracryp so you will run their malware to decrypt the data. The malicious veracryp could then either save the password you entered (hidden somewhere on the USB for the attacker after they steal the stick again) or just upload the whole decrypted data to an attacker server.
If you use the portable veracryp you need to make sure it has not been tampered with.
Well actually decrypting the data on any device you do not trust is risky for the same reason. If veracryp is installed on a machine you still have to trust the person that owns that machine to not have manipulated it or to not have been a victim of malware themselves.
TL:DR decrypting the data on any device you don't control yourself is risky and optimally you could install veracrypt on any device you control.
Ah ok, thank you for letting me know. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.