30-01-2008
Importance of USB-device scanning highlighted
News by Adfero for Simply Business - independent providers of public liability insurance, business finance, landlord insurance, buy-to-let mortgages & commercial mortgages.
Members of staff should ensure that USB devices are scanned for malicious content before using them in the workplace, it has been claimed.
David Emm, a senior technology consultant at security firm Kaspersky, has confirmed that while it may not be realistic for an organisation to restrict the use of USB-based mass storage devices, scanning before use is a "sensible" practice to adopt.
"iPods and USBs raise one of the big potential issues, because these things have a very big capacity," said Mr Emm. "Say to people: 'We know you use USB sticks, we know they're convenient, but as you bring one into the organisation stick it into a machine and scan it'."
Mr Emm also confirmed that iPod music players should also be subject to scanning before being connected to a workplace computer. While USB devices offer a number of benefits to users, those utilising flash memory technology can only support a finite number of write and erase cycles.