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New Flash Drive Counters USB Cyber Threats

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USB flash drives will be a big security threat to each shoppers and organizations and create a heavy drawback for those making an attempt to shield their computers and networks.

Thumb drives ar convenient as a result of they’re tiny in size and quick with scan and write performance creating them a perfect device for moving data; but, flash drives will be abused by cyber criminals to infect computers attributable to their ease-of-use.

Until the Nexcopy Lock License technology was introduced the basic approach a flash drive works could be a profit for a way malware will unfold, as a result of all USB flash drives have a scan and write standing by default. Lock License technology reverses the state of the flash drive – the device is often write protected, or same another way: scan solely.

Recently, a team of scientists from Liverpool Hope University within the Britain created a complicated USB device with all varieties of end point protection software system loaded on the USB drive within the plan to block malware obtaining onto a drive.

The Liverpool Hope University scientists same, “If the OS isn’t designed to limit ANd promote the user’s permission on an inserted USB device, then as shortly because the USB drive is inserted it will execute default automobile run script which will deliver the meant payload to the computing devices and deliver multiple varieties of malicious programs like viruses, Trojans, Keyloggers, Spyware, Remote Access Trojans (RATs), so forth to the computing devices.”

However, what these someone unmarked in their analysis is that the easy truth of constructing the USB scan solely.

It is vital to know however a virulent disease interacts with a USB device to completely appreciate the on top of sentence.

A virus designed to unfold via USB has 2 main goals: initial, unfold any approach potential via USB and second, stay undetected as long as potential. as a result of a virulent disease is making an attempt to remain undetected the malware can ping any USB device connected upon power up. Once the virus identifies if the USB device is usable, the virus can return into hibernation. for instance, if a USB mouse is connected the virus quickly determines this is often a HID device (Human Input Device) and doesn’t have memory for the virus to unfold it’s code. However, a virulent disease can ping a USB flash drive and quickly confirm it’s read/write and can insert it’s code onto the USB non-volatile storage.

With a Lock License USB flash drive, the device is often write protected. This default state of the flash drive suggests that a virulent disease can establish the USB as scan solely, leave it alone, and arrived into hibernation. Malware doesn’t re-examine devices as a result of the additional active a virulent disease is, the additional seemingly the virus are detected.

This is what the scientists at the Liverpool Hope University failed to take into consideration once building their anti-malware device, is that the easy truth of removing the “write” capability of the USB flash drive.

With a Lock License drive defaulting to a write protected state, suggests that management of once the USB device becomes writable is 100 percent within the hands of the User. this implies a User will perform all the scans and testing they need before determinant the flash drive is clean and creating the USB writable. The recent ways in which of however a virulent disease writes itself onto a USB flash drive is gone, as a result of the Lock License USB is scan solely.

The Lock License technology has 2 distinctive characteristics. First, the User should enter AN encrypted secret to change the write perform of the USB device. Again, this puts total management into the hands of the user for once write access is granted to the device. Second, the device is often write protected once connected to any system.

Consider the following:

A User enters their encrypted pass code to create the USB writable. Once their information load is complete the User removes the drive. At this time, once the facility is move the Lock License drive, the default state is currently scan solely. once the Lock License drive is connected to something once more, it’s write protected and browse solely and not possible for a virulent disease to jot down itself onto the flash drive.

This simple amendment of producing a drive to forever be in an exceedingly scan solely state is that the game changer against malware and cyber security threats via USB flash drives. while not the USB device being writable, it’s not possible for a virulent disease to unfold to the device.

Closing Comment

The Lock License drive could be a hardware answer. The write protection isn’t a software system setting. There aren’t any drivers to put in or software system to put in. The USB flash drive can forever be write protected once connected to any device, like a Linux laptop, mack or Windows laptop, a automobile stereo or the other host. to create the Lock License drive writable for information loading is barely potential on a Windows laptop.

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