USB flash drives are so inexpensive now that everybody has one. We use them to store family photos and videos, important documents from work, and just about any other type of file that we need quick and easy access to.

But what if you lose your USB flash drive? Or it ends up in the wrong hands? USB drives lack the password protection of cloud storage, so how can you be certain that your private data is not being accessed by meddlesome individuals?

Luckily, with the help of the BitLocker Drive Encryption utility in Windows 7, you can secure and …