This might be pretty ugly, but just an idea:
Get a 6 inch or longer USB M-F extension cable. Attach to the USB drive. Get a paint stirrer, ruler, or other similar piece of wood. Cut or break in half, duct tape the wood on either side of the drive, including part of the USB cable. Makes it ugly, perhaps less likely to be stolen
, and should protect it well. A little foam under the tape might protect it from shock as well. Might also make it harder to lose. It might not be elegant, but whatever works, right?
The other longshot would be to find the exact same USB drive the company uses, and try copying it to that. There's a slim chance they just check for what type USB drive the software is on, not necessarily a unique serial number.