IBM bans all removable storage, for all staff, everywhere

[LASER_oneXM]

Content source

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/10/ibm_bans_all_removable_storage_for_all_staff_everywhere/

Risk of ‘financial and reputational damage’ is too high, says CISO

IBM has banned its staff from using removable storage devices.
An advisory to staff penned by IBM global chief Information security officer Shamla Naidoo said the company “is expanding the practise of prohibiting data transfer to all removable portable storage devices (eg: USB, SD card, flash drive).”

The advisory says some pockets of IBM have had this policy for a while, but “over the next few weeks we are implementing this policy worldwide.”
Big Blue’s doing this because “the possible financial and reputational damage from misplaced, lost or misused removable portable storage devices must be minimised.”

IBMers are advised to use Big Blue’s preferred sync ‘n’ share service to move data around.
But the advisory also says that the move may be “disruptive for some”.

 

[00alex00]

That's pretty sound implementation, in my opinion. Using physical storage where sensitive data is involved is not always the best idea.

 

[Atlas147]

Plenty of organisations protect their users by only allowing company issued USBs and making sure that they are only used in the workplace to move data around. Of course this would also rely on employees having the self control of not plugging the USBs in their personal computers.

Otherwise another good way to move data between computers is having a FTP or network drives set up for each department.

 

[spectre8]

It should also extend to giving out USB's to customers and potential customers. I find it interesting that it took them this long to get the policy in place.

 

[Deleted member 178]

This is a joke right? they could just disable the concerned ports...