Protecting my usb

[joesm]

Dear,

I have a USB memory full of software I often use on my clients side;
Any possibility to protect my USB memory from getting infected after I plug it to any of my clients PCs (if their PCs are infected)?

Thank you

 

[LMiller7]

Aside from enabling the write protect on the drive (if this suits your use) there is little you can do. Setting the read only attribute on the files is only an advisory which software can ignore if it wishes. You can be sure malware will.

Be sure you have a backup of everything on the drive.

 

[Roderunner]

Hi joesm, If I was using a USB on anyones pc, I would move the files to it before using them, and delete them when finished, including emptying the Recycle Bin. Format the USB before removal. Re add the files from my own pc for the next time.

 

[whs]

Just scan the stick when you reuse it on your PC.

 

[Layback Bear]

Just a thought.
Know the total size of information on the flash drive before you plug it into another computer. Compare the size again just before removing the flash drive from the computer. That should give you a idea if anything has changed.
Make sure your computer doesn't have auto play activated.
Then do as whs has mentioned; plug it in and Scan it.

 

[whs]

Yeah right - a hash total may be the solution.

 

[cottonball]

joesm,

UsbFix vaccinates only removable USB devices:

UsbFix UsbFix tutorial : Vaccination option.

 

[joesm]

Dear,

Thanx a lot for your help.

 

[joesm]

Dear,

I just found this:
USB WriteProtector - Enables or disables the write protection for USB disks
Tried it and here it is denying me from copying/pasting anything on it.
Hopefully it will help.

PS: it seems it only work on the PC where it was write protected.

thanx again,

 

[Phone Man]

Don't know how good this is but:

Internet Security Software Feature Comparison | Compare ESET Antivirus and Malware Protection Products :: DriveSecurity? powered by ESET

Jim

 

[Layback Bear]

As far as I know when something is write protected on computer (A) it is coded.
If you want to open the wright protected information on computer (B) your will have to use the code installed by computer (A). If you don't know that code (password) it is not going to open on computer (B).

You could go back to computer (A) open the information and copy it to your hard drive then install it on a non protected media. At that time you should be able to transfer the information where you want it.

If you don't have the code (password) to access the wright protected drive you are plum out of luck. The information is locked by somebody using a password.
Do you know who password protected the usb device?
Do you know the password, key or code used?

 

[Alejandro85]

Problem with infected USBs are that they get autorun on Windows even before you have a chance to analyze them. This is a known, long term security flaw of Windows since Win95.

The very first measure would be, on your PC, to disable autorun. This does not prevent a drive to get infected, but will prevent your computer to run the virus on its own so it won't become infected. You can safely clean the USB thing before it does any harm.

Another precaution, a bit home-made but quite effective, is to prevent a possible virus to use the autorun flaw. For this, on the USB drive, create a folder named exactly autorun.inf. This prevents a virus to create the dreaded autorun.inf file (since something else with the same name exists), and it must delete it before infecting, which gives a clear indication that something went wrong. If the drive is NTFS, you can reinforce it by denying full control permission to everyone. Not a 100% effective method, but for many nasties it works.

Of course, after returning from a user's system to yours, do a full scan with an antivirus to the drive, just to be sure.

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you Alejandro85. In my post I used the term Auto Play when it should of been Auto Run.
Disabling Auto Run will be necessary in my opinion or the bad things exe. will just jump in your computer before you can scan.