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Companies need to be aware of how easily sensitive data can be stolen by employees wielding high-capacity USB Flash drive devices. Even if the intent is not theft, carelessness or lack of attention to the importance of network security can have the same effect and it is now possible to buy 512 GB U3.0 sticks, with 1 TB on the way,
High-capacity storage devices such as USB flash drives are small enough to fit into the smallest pocket and companies need to be aware of how easily sensitive company data can be taken, a 512 Gig Flash Drive would hold the complete data archives of most SMEs and 1 Terabyte would probably capture many large organisations.
Copying files to Flash Drives for editing outside the office is a common practice and can completely bypass and compromise network security. Trusted senior managers can be the worst culprits, taking work home, editing the files and restoring the following day. The network may be secure from outside attack but the flash drive invariably resides in the briefcase with the edited files intact.
The more sinister use is for deliberate data theft by disgruntled employees or people about to leave an organisation
Large companies generally have network security policies that prevent unapproved devices being attached to the network but most organisations do not have a definitive policy in this area.
Companies need to think about this and even a simple solution like restricting writing to external storage devices, including USB flash drives is a fairly simple thing to do. It may not stop a determined thief that has access to administrator permissions but it will prevent most users from abusing the system
It’s not just USB Flash Drives that can store data, anything the can be connected by USB and has a memory is a potential threat
The following is useful link
http://www.askvg.com/how-to-disable-restrict-use-of-usb-storage-devices-in-windows/
As a footnote. We are in our 40th year of business and in all those years, the major security issues we have had to deal with were always carried out by some of the most trusted employees.
Why do the police always ask for details of key holders when there is a burglary?
Anyone with administrator permissions on a company computer system are “Key Holders”
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When Security is paramount
IF IT’S NOT SHREDDED, IT’S NOT SECURE
We shred hard drives and other data media, see how HERE
www.electronic-recycling.ie
