Conclusion and advice
The main purpose of this short paper is to raise awareness of a threat that consumers and businesses may underestimate.
USB drives offer many advantages: they are compact and handy, and a great brand asset, but the devices themselves, the data stored on them and the computers they are plugged into are all potentially vulnerable to cyberthreats if left unprotected.
Fortunately, there are some effective steps consumers and organizations can take to secure the use of USB devices.
Advice for all USB users:
- Be careful about the devices you connect to your computer – do you know where it came from?
- Invest in encrypted USB devices from trusted brands – this way you know your data is safe even if you lose the device
- Make sure all data stored on the USB is also encrypted
- Have a security solution in place that checks all removable media for malware before they are connected to the network – even trusted brands can be compromised through their supply chain
Additional advice for businesses:
- Manage the use of USB devices: define which USB devices can be used, by whom and for what
- Educate employees on safe USB practices – particularly if they are moving the device between a home computer and a work device
- Don’t leave USBs lying around or on display
Kaspersky Lab’s security solutions, such as
Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Windows, provide security and encryption for all removable media including USB devices.
