Resident Antivirus/Antimalware program for external HDD's

jackuars

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How do I protect my external hard drive files when I insert it into other computers? What's the best resident antivirus/antimalware program that can help me with this?
 
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Avast Free Antivirus or Avira free antivirus.
I mean an antivirus/antimalware that runs within the external HDD, not on one's system.
Sorry if I didn't make it clear before.
 
I mean an antivirus/antimalware that runs within the external HDD, not on one's system.
Sorry if I didn't make it clear before.

Can't even imagine something like this, never heard of something like this. Don't even think it's doable, or maybe it is but don't think it will ever be reliable...
 
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Never heard of something like this. I guess the best thing you could do is encrypt the drive, which would prevent the host from accessing it on the system you plug it in till you enter a password.

WD Essentials doesn't provide encryption.
 
Then I don't know what I can suggest you. An external hard drive is the same as a USB Flash Drive, you should never connect it to a computer you don't trust.
 
I don't completely understand what you mean. You say that it needs to run within HDD. That is not possible. If you mean something like a portable version of an antivirus, you still need to run and load it in the memory of the computer where the HDD or USB is plugged in and before you can do that a possible malware on that host pc can already infect your files in the meantime right after pluggin in the disk or usb.
There are tools that you can run on the pc itself to detect possible malware like Panda USB Vaccine and that will disable the autorun.
You can always disable the writing to usb on that pc too: look here
The most waterproof and only real solution I see for what you want to achieve will be encryting the drive I guess like others already suggested.
Just avoid plugin a disk or Usb in a public computer, unless you really can't do it in any other way.
 
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Never heard of something like this. I guess the best thing you could do is encrypt the drive, which would prevent the host from accessing it on the system you plug it in till you enter a password.
You mean encryption can prevent a malware infection? If it can then there's no need of AV/AM software, right?

Also, if the malware screws up the encryption (although not being able to break the password-protected drive) then I think you'll not be able to decrypt the drive.
 
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Honestly the first defense is to turn off the autoplay, so that any drive attacks will not affect by any device when insert.

You can lock down by using a tool like USB Protection by Cholaware where treat the flashdrive/external HDD as read-only.

Antivirus/Anti-malware will be the last option to clean any remnants.
 
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I mean an antivirus/antimalware that runs within the external HDD, not on one's system.
Sorry if I didn't make it clear before.
I think you need to select an AV which can autoscans your USB HDD upon insertion. Not many AVs does that.

BD can autoscan when you insert an USB drive. Others may ask for permission to scan, some with a message pop up saying your drive is protected but without scanning etc.
 
How do I protect my external hard drive files when I insert it into other computers? What's the best resident antivirus/antimalware program that can help me with this?
This is not possible , a software need an OS to run on it. ext-HDD don't have any OS on them.

the only way to protect an external drive is:

1- encryption
2- block execution of program inside it
3- deny writes of datas in it.
 
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Consider this scenario. I have many movies and T.V series on my hard drive, and I usually share them with my friends. So what are the protection measures that I should consider before doing this, because I can't be really sure what happens next.
 
You can lock down by using a tool like USB Protection by Cholaware where treat the flashdrive/external HDD as read-only.

This looks good. :)

This is not possible , a software need an OS to run on it. ext-HDD don't have any OS on them.

the only way to protect an external drive is:

1- encryption
2- block execution of program inside it
3- deny writes of datas in it.

1. It doesn't support encryption
2,3. How do I do this?

Does Jamescv7 suggestion above help me with this?
 
Consider this scenario. I have many movies and T.V series on my hard drive, and I usually share them with my friends. So what are the protection measures that I should consider before doing this, because I can't be really sure what happens next.
Depend what you want to do, you want deny access to the drive? not possible unless the drive has a physical switch.

2,3. How do I do this?
2 & 3- can only done from your system.
once connected to someone else computer, they have full access to it.
 
Consider this scenario. I have many movies and T.V series on my hard drive, and I usually share them with my friends. So what are the protection measures that I should consider before doing this, because I can't be really sure what happens next.
You can put what you want to share with your friends in a separate folder and encrypt the rest. Not necessary to encrypt the whole drive
 
You can put what you want to share with your friends in a separate folder and encrypt the rest. Not necessary to encrypt the whole drive

Encrypt the rest? Like how? Zip and password protect?
 
How do I protect my external hard drive files when I insert it into other computers? What's the best resident antivirus/antimalware program that can help me with this?
Unless there is an operating system running on the HDD how would the program execute.. think about it.


I haven't come across anything in my IT Career that does this thus far.
You best bet is to connect your device to the machine you use and then scan it.