Thumb
drives or USB drives are popular among almost every PC user. Compact storage is
offered to store projects, documents. The IT staff uses them to cart around
tools. As these drives are popular and data is transferred between several
systems frequently they are a soft target for hackers and intruders thereby
spreading the infection.
In
several firms USB drives are not allowed to be used as it can infect system
easily. Silent applications are installed on workstations which would detect a
drive when it has been inserted. That software would notify administrators.
Attackers
would get infection through standard mediums with the help of bogus spam mail,
exploits. The infection would not attack
the system directly but would wait for any external device to be plugged in.
After it has been plugged in, the virus transfers malicious code to device
without knowing what is happening. The drive has become a tool which would
transport the code he/she wants to the computer you plug the drive into may be
the system in the office.
Malicious
code can steal personal information, sensitive documents, allow external access
and even spread the virus to a system network. There are people who think that
they have an encrypted flash drive so they are safe. It is wrong to think so.
The encrypted ones are meant for data loss or theft.
Digital
photo kiosks are major distribution points for infections. If photo kiosk
computers are infected it would be easy when thousands of people walk in and
insert memory cards at Wal-Mart. What do you do to protect yourself against
these activities?
Now
use the security features. Use sophisticated antivirus support. Use encryption
as well as passwords on USB drive to protect data as well as ensure that you
have details backed up in case you lost the drive. Just keep business USB
drives as well as personal ones separate. Never use the personal drive on
systems owned by your company and never plug USB drives that have corporate
data into personal PC.
Maintain
as well as use antivirus software and it updated. See to it that you use a reliable antivirus support. Use an antivirus, firewall and an anti-spyware software to
make the system computer less susceptible to attacks. This can be done by using
necessary patches. Never plug an unknown USB drive into your computer. In case
you find an unclaimed USB drives give it to authorities. Never plug it into
your computer to view contents or to identify the owner.
