USB “Thumb” Drive Issues
IT Consulting services on Long Island expect that all technology on businesses can be a vector for malware, cybercrime, or other operational threats which can be a serious issue for sustainable operations. That applies to USB drives, believe it or not. They often act as a malware avenue.
Viruses will be loaded on the drive, and they don’t “activate” unless there’s something “juicy” for the cybercriminal that added the virus to the thumb drive. Some viruses just wait in the background, and others are “spyware” designed to reveal secrets or collect collateral data. Whatever the malware, USB thumb drives are often used for such purposes.
What To Do
MSPs that provide IT services on Long Island advise a few different tactics in thumb-drive security. Some businesses have an operational infrastructure that depends on transferring information physically using such drives. If that is the case, you need to develop protocols around the use of those drives to protect operations overall. That will probably look something like this:
- Drives Cannot be Allowed to Leave the Premises
- Only Approved USB Thumb Drives Can be Used
- Drives Must be Stored in Specific Locations That Are Secure
- Improperly Using USB Tech Results in Appropriate Consequences
- Drives Can Only be Accessed on End User Portals with a Password
The Alternative
IT consulting experts on Long Island would highly advise clients to avoid the use of thumb drives entirely. Certainly, random drives employees own are to be restricted, but it’s better just to upgrade beyond this mode of data transfer. IT experts can help you put together cloud-based infrastructural solutions that solve the problem. All data is stored on a server anyone with web access and proper credentials can refer to.
Avoiding Thumb Drives is Best
IT consulting providers on Long Island like Total Technology Solutions provide better alternatives for data management than thumb drives. If you must have them, establish proper use protocols. For safety’s sake, avoiding them could be smarter. Give us a call today to know more about establishing safety strategies in data transferring and other IT services for your business.
