The A to Z of security

USB sticks/devices

Mobile storage devices such as the humble USB stick or iPod might not seem much of a security risk but as the amount of data they are able to absorb has increased they have become a very effective tool for covertly making off with files from the corporate network.

Security from A to Z

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A is for Antivirus
B is for Botnets
C is for CMA
D is for DDoS
E is for Extradition
F is for Federated identity
G is for Google
H is for Hackers
I is for IM
J is for Jaschan (Sven)
K is for Kids
L is for Love Bug
M is for Microsoft
N is for Neologisms
O is for Orange
P is for Passwords
Q is for Questions
R is for Rootkits
S is for Spyware
T is for Two-factor authentication
U is for USB sticks/devices
V is for Virus variants
W is for Wi-fi
X is for OS X
Y is for You
Z is for Zero-day

The problem here is the combination of growing storage capacity with the fact that devices such as USB memory sticks, cameras and iPods look pretty inconspicuous in the hands of an employee. Ninety-nine times out of a 100 there may be nothing to worry about but if an employee does 'go rogue' those devices may be the most effective tool at their disposal.

Similarly, inbound data could also be a problem. Employees transferring files from home on a mobile device may not be aware there is also malware on the device they are introducing to the corporate network. Also, files transferred could include those in breach of copyright – such as music files, or pirated software – and companies might not fancy facing possible prosecution for the actions of their employees.

As such, many call centres and other offices where sensitive information is accessed – including some government departments - have now taken to banning such devices. Other extreme measures have included companies pouring superglue into USB ports to permanently disable them.

A security industry veteran has even created an app that searches corporate networks for files likely to contain business-critical data and downloads them to an iPod at a rate of around 100MB every two minutes - a process dubbed 'pod-slurping'.