A USB flash drive (also known as a thumb drive) is a data storage device with flash memory and
a built-in USB interface. It is usually rewritable, portable, and smaller than an optical disc. The
most of them are under 30 g in weight. Storage capacities have increased while costs have
decreased since they first came into the market in late 2000, as they have with practically all
other computer memory devices. Flash drives with capacities ranging from 8 to 256 gigabytes
were popular in March 2016, but 512 GB and 1 terabyte units were less popular. In terms of
memory capacity, 2 TB flash drives were the largest available in 2018. Depending on the type of
memory chip used, some allow up to 100,000 write/erase cycles and are expected to recover
between 10 and 100 years under typical conditions.
Encrypting a portable USB flash drive is an excellent approach to keep critical data out of the
wrong hands in the case of a data breach or other security disaster.