{"id":35624,"date":"2014-05-27T06:00:32","date_gmt":"2014-05-27T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=35624"},"modified":"2025-08-27T09:40:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T16:40:26","slug":"usb-drives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/usb-drives\/","title":{"rendered":"USB Drives \u2013 With Convenience Comes Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m sure most of us have used a USB drive (or thumb drive) at one point or another. They are super convenient to transfer files, especially when they are too large for email or you don\u2019t have access to an Internet connection.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s this same convenience of being portable, readily available, and inexpensive that make them a prime target for cybercriminals. There\u2019s a number of ways that these devices can fall victim to the underworld.<\/p>\n

Because USB drives are primarily used to share and transfer files, it\u2019s an easy target for hackers who are looking to distribute malware<\/a>. And because most USB drives are set to auto-run (meaning that when you plug it into your computer, it will automatically open up the drive), the malicious software could be automatically transferred to your computer as soon as you plug this in. So once they get you to copy an infected file to the USB drive, it\u2019s easily spread to other computers every time the USB drive is plugged in.<\/p>\n

While their small size and portability make them easy to carry in your pocket or pretty much anywhere, it also makes them susceptible to loss or theft. Depending on what type of information is stored on here, losing this device could expose your personal information. A USB drive could easily be misplaced, dropped or taken from a table so it\u2019s important to be careful when using these devices.<\/p>\n

Another thing to keep in mind is that files aren\u2019t really deleted, even if you hit the \u201cdelete\u201d button to take something off your USB drive. In this case \u201cdelete\u201d really means \u201chide\u201d so unless you run a \u201cwipe\u201d program to really get rid of the files, someone could still retrieve your data, so you still need to make sure you are careful with these devices.<\/p>\n

Tips to Ensure You’re Safe and Protected:<\/h2>\n

So here\u2019s some tips how can you ensure that you stay safe and protect your information when using USB drives:<\/p>\n