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Wednesday 4 September 2013

USB Drive—Great Invention but NOT Perfect!


The small USB flash drive offers great facility of carrying data around and rewrite data as many times as you please. But, this human size portable data storing device is not a safe carrier of data. It has high contributions in data breach that is why IT experts rate it as a huge threat to data security. Some of the biggest threats that this small jump impose to data are:
The Insider threats and Flash drive
The biggest threat to data is imposed by the online attacks from cyber criminals. However, about 15 percent of the attacks on the companies’ database come from inside. Moreover, the situation has been worsened due to the small USB flash drive that can save data up to terabytes and it can easily fit the thieve pocket. You must have heard about Edward Snowden who stolen National Security Agency’s (NSA) data and handed over to the media. He was just equipped with an ordinary USB memory stick. A USB drive can impose such hazardous threat, using security software like USB Block can help your cause of securing data.
Convenience is the Enemy
The greatest enemy of security without any doubt is convenience, and the same case is with cyber security. The USB flash drive that is hardly is the size of a human thumb and can store almost all of the data of an ordinary user. Employees tend to use their USB sticks to confidential data. The danger is that, these small portable data storing devices are very much prone to getting lost or stolen; all the data can easily be extracted out of the thumb drive.
Responsible for Spreading Malware
Research has suggested that almost more than a quarter of the malware is spread through USB flash drive. Hackers equip the flash drives with the infected programs and intentionally drop in public places. Almost half of these drives are plugged in the computer later that causes the computer to get infected.
There is no doubt that USB flash drive is an incredible invention, but, they should be operated with great care and responsibility. Otherwise, these drives will not take much time in turning into a curse rather than a blessing.

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