USB Drives
USB or thumb drives are a great way for storing and carrying data. They are small, inexpensive, and offer an easy way to transferring files from one computer to another. Yet however convenient they may be it’s these very features that make them appealing to people with malicious intent.
Here is how USB drives pose security risks:
- USB drives are easily lost, or stolen. If the data was not backed up, this could mean more hours of work lost. Photographs may even be lost forever. If the information on the drive was not encrypted valuable personal information could fall into in the hands of somebody with identity theft in mind.
- Attackers use USB drives to infect computers with malicious code or malware. When plugged into a machine, the infected code downloads to the hard drive where it can be carried from computer to another.
- Electronic devices such as picture frames and USB drives may be infected in that same way during manufacturing. When these devices are connected to a computer, malware will transfer itself onto the new machine and instal itself.
- USB drives can be used to steal sensitive information if someone has access to your computer. The USB drives can be used to reboot a system within minutes after it’s been shut down, and copy entire hard drives, or important passwords.
How can you protect data both on your computer and USB drive?
- Keep separate drives for business and personal use. Do not plug a personal flash drive into your work computer, and do not use a business USB drive on your personal computer.
- Do not use an unknown USB drive. USB drives are easily lost. If you find a USB drive turn it over to the University Police. DO NOT plug it into your work or personal computer to try to figure out to whom it belongs!
- Use the security features like password or encryption to protect your data. Some vendors, like http://www.ironkey.com/, now include these features on the thumb drive.
- Back up the information on your USB drive regularly.
- Use a firewall, anti-virus software, and keep the virus definitions current to make your machine is less vulnerable.
- Keep software on your computer up to date by installing patches as soon as they are released.