Data security through the internet is one of the most volatile industries in today’s world. Bug exploits, malicious code, and all kinds of data stealing programs being born through the constant fluidity of web content has led to many companies and organizations removing their valuable information from the grid altogether. A new threat on the hardware front however, may prove to be a challenge for even this avenue of data protection.
A new malware sample, appropriately named “USB Thief”, was discovered by researchers at the award-winning ESET security firm. As its name implies, the malware is completely USB-based, meaning it spreads only through devices plugging in through the USB ports of a computer.
This Trojan has applications in targeting attacks on systems disconnected from the internet which includes financial systems such as stock exchanges, military computer networks, and industrial control systems. ESET did not disclose how it discovered USB Thief but they describe its most devious point of sophistication being its ability avoid detection and reverse engineering.
Through attaching as a plugin or dynamically linked library (.dll file) into the command chain of typical USB applications, USB Thief will run in the background on application launch completely unbeknowst to the user. Despite stealing images, documents, most data files, and even copying the Windows registry tree, the malware leaves no trace of its presence as it exists solely on the USB stick.
As human ingenuity creates magnificent and helpful technological bounds, it also comes with risks and dangers such as this. One of the best ways to avoid data compromises on isolated networks is to use encrypted and write protected drives. This ensures both the information stored on the drive cannot be modified, which is incredibly useful for organizations pushing secure content to their staff, and malicious libraries or programs cannot be added to a drive believed to be safe.
Nexcopy is a proud provider of Copy Protected USB drives to secure existing data and to write-protect drives at the controller level. Currently providing USB security for some of the largest aircraft manufacters and oil refineries, to even fireman academies, Nexcopy has the vital resources to strengthen every security effort.
Make sure to check out their site for details on their USB software and hardware, including USB duplicators to make even the distribution of safe drives a better experience : Copy Protection
