USB - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

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  Heathrow Airport lands $223k fine for three seconds on video in a lost USB stick

  A hefty fine for personal details in video that could be spread via a screenshot.

  Liam Tung | 11 Oct | Read more

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  The week in security: Google to shame HTTP users; Telstra's secret to finding cybersecurity staff

  CISOs beware: a specially-built USB device can steal credentials even from locked Windows PCs after being inserted for just seconds.

  David Braue | 13 Sep | Read more

• For $99, this Indiegogo project will murder your PC’s USB port

  “USB Killer” promises to destroy a computer's USB port for $99, but you probably needn’t go to such extremes.

  Jared Newman | 09 Nov | Read more

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  Portable storage for the paranoid: We test two secure USB drives on keypad vs. software security

  Congratulations: You've decided your data is sensitive enough (or you're paranoid enough) to store it on a secure USB drive. Basically encrypted storage on a stick, these portable flash drives come with FIPS 140-2 level three validation, meaning the cryptographic module will be rendered inoperable if tampering is detected. It costs quite a bit to acquire validation, which is part of the reason for premium pricing of these drives.

  Jon L. Jacobi | 20 Mar | Read more

• The BadUSB exploit is deadly, but few may be hit

  Nine years ago, I created what I believe was the world's first USB worm. By playing around with a USB thumb drive and placing a hidden file on it, I was able to make any computer in which the "infected" USB drive was plugged into automatically spread the file to the host computer, then back again when a new USB device was plugged in.

  Roger A. Grimes | 09 Oct | Read more

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  Product review – Ironkey Workspace W500

  One of the neat, often forgotten, features that was introduced with Windows 8 was Windows to Go. Windows to Go is a fully self-contained Windows installation that can be run straight from a USB stick. The benefit is that a worker can take their personal settings and preferences with them on a USB stick, plug it into a computer, boot from the USB device and be able to work from any computer.

  Anthony Caruana | 07 May | Read more

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  Want data? Scoop up those lost USB keys

  Lost USB memory keys make such rich and easy pickings for personal data that criminals must surely be onto this scam already. Their only risk is getting infected by the damn things.

  Stilgherrian | 07 Dec | Read more

• Can we ever close the USB security gap?

  When something as seemingly esoteric as USB security can hit a mainstream cartoon like Dilbert, you know it’s a real issue. But it’s also one that has been poorly addressed by many companies, whose employees seem to be losing data through this largely unpoliced security hole faster than your Uncle Barry going through $2 coins at the local TAB.

  David Braue | 05 Oct | Read more

• Fearing more Wikileaks, military bans DVDs, thumb drives

  Removable media such as CDs, DVDs and USB drives are no longer allowed on classified military computers.

  Jared Newman | 11 Dec | Read more

• Security logs, medical records and missile data discovered in disused hard drives

  A third, or 34 per cent, of disused hard drives still contain confidential data according to a new study, which found missile defence system data and media records on ebay purchases.

  Kathryn Edwards | 13 May | Read more

• IBM looks to secure Internet banking with USB stick

  IBM's Zurich research laboratory has developed a USB stick that the company says can ensure safe banking transactions even if a PC is riddled with malware.

  Jeremy Kirk | 04 Mar | Read more