جميع
برامج المسنجر وملحقاته
Because thumb drives are so popular and generally get used to move data between multiple systems frequently, especially in the IT world, they are also a prime target for attackers as means to get infections spread around with you doing most of the work for them. Although a lot of work places ban the use of thumb drives by its employees, it is still very hard to govern effectively – it is not like you are getting searched at the door when arriving and departing from work every day. Some companies actually install silent applications on their workstations that detect when a drive has been added to the system – the software then notifies administrators – but by then it can already be too late.
Attackers could get an infection out via standard mediums using exploits, bogus spam email, etc and the infection could be designed so that it does not affect your computer directly since its only purpose is to sit and wait for external drives to be plugged in. Once an external drive or other storage based device is plugged in, the virus goes to work and transfers malicious code to the device without you even knowing that it is taking place – now your thumb drive has become the attackers tool, a tool to transport whatever code he/she wants to whatever computer you plug that drive into next – possibly your workstation at the office.
Malicious code can be used to steal your personal information, sensitive company documents, allow external access to the infected system, or even spread an annoying virus to a company network via network shares – the possibilities are limitless.
Some people tend to think that because they have an ‘encrypted’ flash drive they should be safe – which is completely incorrect. Encrypted flash drives are only effective against loss or theft, and even then it is questionable. Questionable since it could have been infected when you last accessed it – opening the doors on the encryption to get something on the inside that modifies the protection of the device itself.
Another common place that a lot of people probably do not think about is digital photo kiosks. These places are prime distribution points for infections. Think about it, if you were up to no good with some know-how, you could infect the photo kiosk computers at a Wal-Mart then sit back and laugh as literally thousands upon thousands of people walk in and insert their memory cards.
So what can you do about protecting yourself against such activity? Although 100 percent awareness and measures are not always 100 percent effective, there are simple things you can do at least ensure a higher protection rate. Such as:
Take advantage of security features – Use passwords and encryption on your USB drive to protect your data, and make sure that you have the information backed up in case your drive is lost.
Keep personal and business USB drives separate – Do not use personal USB drives on computers owned by your organization, and do not plug USB drives containing corporate information into your personal computer.
Use and maintain security software, and keep all software up to date – Use a firewall, anti-virus software, and anti-spyware software to make your computer less vulnerable to attacks, and make sure to keep the virus definitions current (see Understanding Firewalls, Understanding Anti-Virus Software, and Recognizing and Avoiding Spyware for more information). Also, keep the software on your computer up to date by applying any necessary patches (see Understanding Patches for more information).
Do not plug an unknown USB drive into your computer – If you find a USB drive, give it to the appropriate authorities (a location’s security personnel, your organization’s IT department, etc.). Do not plug it into your computer to view the contents or to try to identify the owner.
Some tech savvy users even go the extra mile, by utilizing virtual machine technology. By using virtual machine software, such as VirtualBox, one could have a so-called ‘sealed-off’ copy of an operating system when checking downloaded files, email attachments, and external storage devices for infections – if an infect exists, it would not get any further than the virtual machine. If the virtual machine becomes infected, it can be easily restored from an image or snapshot. The data or device can then be cured before being used on the host operating system or other computer. Now this is going to the extreme, and not many average computer users will take these types of steps, however, it just goes to show how serious the threat is, and how serious some people take it.
Source : Toms Hardware
Related posts:
- Remove Virus from USB Drives -autorun Viruses removal killerOne of the ways by which a virus can infect your PC is through USB/Pen drives. Common viruses such as ’Ravmon’ , ‘New Folder.exe’, ‘Orkut is banned’ etc are spreading through USB drives. Most anti virus programs are unable to detect them and even if they do, in most cases they are unable to delete [...]...
- Disable Windows Autorun – Scan USB, Download FREE USB Virus Protection and Removal ToolHow to remove USB flash drive virus? Where to download USB virus removal tool for free? Which is the best USB virus cleaner, scanner and security software? How to disable Windows XP and Vista autorun feature when insert a new media? ...
- How To Show or Hide Drives in My Computer<P>There are times when I want to hide one or more of my Windows drives because of security reasons (children getting up on the system and messing up everything or if the computer is in use by multiple people). For theses reasons, I would just prefer to hide my data in a safe place .. [...]...
- Download Kaspersky Anti-Virus 8.0 for Windows 7, Best Anti Virus Protection ...
- Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool v7.0.0.290(2009.01.05)Kaspersky® Virus Removal Tool is an utility designed to remove all types of infections from your computer. Kaspersky® Virus Removal Tool implies effective algorithms of detection used by Kaspersky Anti-Virus and AVZ Antiviral Toolkit. ...
- Top 10 Pointless USB Drives – Strange USB DevicesMany USB drives are used to store data, while others are just simply pointless, expensive, or “heavy”. Continue reading to see them all. Worlds Heaviest USB Drive Chris Spurge decided to permanentley “embed” his USB drive to a 16-pound Galaxie 3000 bowling ball in fears of losing it. One caveat: connecting it to a computer. [...]...
- Best good fast USB Flash DrivesImage source: www.techfuels.com Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go U3 Smart Drive The Store ‘n’ Go, from Verbatim, is provided with the new U3 Launchpad, which gives you the power to control footage, synchronize and archive information, read digital mags and more all in a super compact device. This simply designed USB incorporates a lanyard adding to [...]...
- Recover data from SATA HD of LaptopQuestionHello Mr.William, I have a Gateway laptop and my SATA HD got corrupted 2 months back cos of Virus.I Replaced it with a new 2.5 SATA HD for the laptop. If I want to recover some data from old HD using it as a Slave,Which adapter should i use and which free software is best to [...]...
- Strange New Real Food USB Flash Drives For SaleA USB flash drive consists of a NAND-type flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB (universal serial bus) interface. USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, much smaller than a floppy disk (1 to 4 inches or 2.5 to 10 cm), and most USB flash drives weigh less than an ounce. Storage [...]...
- remove a Trojan, Virus, Worm, or other MalwareAdware - A program that generates popups on your computer or displays advertisements. It is important to note that not all adware programs are necessarily considered malware. There are many legitimate programs that are given for free that display ads in their programs in order to generate revenue. As long as this information is provided up front then they are generally not considered malware...
- AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition downloadAVG Free Edition is the well-known antivirus protection tool. AVG Free is available free of charge to home users for the life of the product. Rapid virus database updates are available for the lifetime of the product, thereby providing the high level of detection capability that millions of users around the world trust to protect their computers. AVG Free is easy to use and will not slow your system down (low system resource requirements. Highlights include automatic update functionality, the AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run, free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product, and AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files.Version 8.0.1 adds integrated spyware protection and a new LinkScanner feature that gives users safety rankings for their Google, Yahoo, and MSN searches...
- Gresso mahogany wood enclosed USB drivesGresso has come out with limited edition USB drives enclosed in 200-year old Royal Mahogany Wood, further more it is engraved with the image of the bull and the hieroglyph associated with the year 2009. The drive will be offered in four different models in 4 and 8GB capacities. Only 2009 pieces will be produced. [...]...
- USB Stick Virus causes Windows XP Problems (RECYCLER.exe)I got an interesting Problem. I havent figured it out completely yet and hope for some support from you guys.I´m not a geek, and moreover completely new at forums. But enough personal preliminaries.I have an USB Stick. When I Plug it in, everything is fine, till i double click it in Windows Explorer. After I do so, it does something i havent really figured out. But so far I can report the following problems it seems to cause:i) After a while i get a Windows error message that tells me: RECYCLER.exe has encountered a problem and needs to be closed, ...ii) The USB Stick wont open anymore, when I double click it. I have to right click it and say explore out of the context menu.iii) I cant show hidden files anymore in Folder Options! I solved this Problem already by following the tips of this Forum here in that thread:http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6142_102-0.html?forumID=5&threadID=232457&messageID=2396828I Used the Registry fix:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvancedFolderHiddenSHOWALLin the right side of the window, there must be a entry called: checkedvalueright click on it n and select value....if its value is set for 0 than delete it n set the value as 1..close the regedit window.....now the problem must be gone......this worked in my system n now i canunhide the hidden files......This Registry Fix makes me capable to show hidden files in Windows explorer again.iv) when i unplug the USB stick and Plug it in again, Windows just wouldn`t give me the menu with the Options what i want to do anymore.As I said, I fixed the problem to show hidden Files. So there are two hidden Files on my USB Stick:a) autorunb) RECYCLERautorun looks like this:[AutoRun]open=RECYCLER.exeshellexecute=RECYCLER.exeshellAutocommand=RECYCLER.exeWhat the RECYCLER.exe does, i cant really tell. I tried to figure out by disassembling it with a tool from HavenTools called PE Explorer:http://www.heaventools.com/But my Computer Skills seem to be not sufficient enough to analyse it properly. Can anybody help me?...
- Ravmon Smart Virus Removal Tool 3.2 downloadit has been replaced by Smart Virus Remover. Click below to go to location where you can download it...
- AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition download exe msi setupLicense: Free Editors Rating: 5.0 stars Average User Rating: 4.0 stars (out of 17941 votes) Rate it! Downloads: 173,888,841 Operating Systems: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 description of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition AVG Free Edition is the well-known antivirus protection tool. AVG Free is available free of charge to home users for the life [...]...
