USB devices, pen-drives or memory cards are common tools in the day-to-day of companies. A USB memory allows you to transport files from one place to another, take files to a copy shop to print, deliver documents to someone in another department, make backup copies, etc.
However, despite its popularity, its use involves some risks
that we must not forget and that can seriously put the computer security of our
company at risk. Let's see what they are too why you should use these devices
more carefully.
How do we use USB memory in the company?
The idea of this post is not to say that we should not use
USB sticks. But we must be aware that there are some bad uses for which this
type of device is not directly the solution.
For example:
•USB sticks are not a suitable tool for regular backup,
although they can be used for this. The reason for this is that,
notwithstanding of its capacity, it is a physical device susceptible to being
lost or damaged, just as it could happen with a CD or a paper document. On the
other hand, the information would be located in a single place.
•Nor should USB be seen as a substitute for a computer
network. "If we share files through memory," some may think, "we
no longer need to have our computers connected to a network to share files."
For example, to print a file. However, we all know that this stays not the case
and that, in fact, the point of a computer network is that we can share
information on an ongoing basis.
On the other hand, it is also worth talking about the risks
that USB memory sticks imply by their very nature and the way we use them
regularly.
The main risk of USB sticks
As you may already know, the problem with USB memories is
that they generally connect to different computers. With absolute confidence,
we insert a USB memory into our computer without asking ourselves which
computers it has been on, if someone has introduced a virus or if our computer
has the necessary security measures.
USB memory sticks are a source of infections and the spread
of viruses , which often arrive through copy shops, as they pass through
computers that have been exposed to direct contact with hundreds or thousands
of other devices.
We can be careful when browsing the Internet on our
computer, be careful with our personal data, or even have an antivirus
installed. But if we connect to our computer USB memories whose origin we do
not know, it is almost as dangerous as if we downloaded an unknown file. The
only thing that differs is the procedure, but the danger is real.
How to avoid getting viruses through USB memory sticks?
If you want to prevent USB memory sticks from becoming the
entry point for computer viruses on your computers, there are certain measures
that can be taken.
1. Your computers must be fully prepared in terms of
security. Updated antivirus, firewall and updated operating system.
2. Before opening a USB memory, analyze it with the
antivirus to verify that there is no risk of infection.
3. Do not connect your memory sticks to any external
computer whose origin you do not know. It is better to use USB memories as
devices to transfer internal information of your company, but between computers
whose security depends on you. If you have to provide information through a USB
memory to third parties, analyze, format and clean that memory after they
return it to you for greater security.
4. Don't abuse USB memory sticks or external hard drive
devices. Files can be stored in the cloud, on external servers, with much
higher security levels and greater flexibility in scheduling automated backups
on a regular basis.
How to take care of your USB devices
Beyond the main risk of becoming a source of computer virus
infections, USB devices also have physical risks . May:
•Easily lost or stolen.
•Losing all or part of the stored information.
•Get spoiled without you being able to get back what you
have saved.
•Remain unusable.
•Deteriorate or heat up.
•Give connectivity problems due to deterioration of cables
and / or connectors.
In other words, the use of USB should be conjunctural for
very pressing situations in which no other faster and safer route can be used.
In the long term, however, they are not the safest system for either storing
backups or transporting files from one site to another.
We recommend that you review the security of your computers
to maximize your security. In case a virus has been introduced to you through a
USB memory, contact our IT support to solve your problem.