What are removable media devices?

Removable media is a common storage medium that most corporate environments use daily. It specifically allows for users to copy data to a device and remove it, allowing for mass-use across an organization. these devices are commonly used to inject malware and can be found by unsuspecting users to plug into their devices.

What to Know

Removable media is commonly used in the corporate environment; however, attackers can use this trust to create negative effects. Understanding the risk is imperative to safety in the company and to your own devices. Attackers commonly drop devices around “hot spots”, such as parking lots, bathrooms, and front offices, to lure unsuspecting victims to bring them into their corporate environments and plug into their devices. This will allow for an attacker to gain access to the network just by simply dropping something onto the ground.

Removable media can be very useful in the workplace; however, one must understand how attackers can use this to gain access. This type of media is easy to lose, and it is important to retain information and backups in case of such events.

Common examples of removeable media:

• USB Sticks
• External Hard Drives
• SD Cards
• Removable Discs (CD's, DVD's, etc.)

How to Protect Yourself

Like phishing, malicious removable media is easier to spot and can be avoided quickly. The video below will cover how to stop such attacks and common things to look for.