This article at leading security portal Help Net Security summarizes 2009 from the point of view of the malware that was found in the wild.

As the piece points out, it was a year in which nobody that uses the Internet could ignore the dangers of malware, whether received by email, from Google’s search results, on social networks like FaceBook or Twitter, or even by direct injection from USB memory sticks, as was the case with Conficker and its variants. Read More »

It’s been a high-profile year for USB memory sticks: they have been the subject of many headlines thanks to a series of losses and theft incidents, and have been exploited as a new vector for spreading malware across networks (thanks to Conficker and related Autorun-exploiting worms). Read More »

A recent survey of London taxi drivers shows that December is the worst time of year for losing mobile phones, laptops and memory sticks.

Apparently some 10,000 mobiles are left behind in taxis every month, and over 1,000 laptops, flash drives and other removable devices too. It’s believed that most of these losses happen because they slip out of peoples’ pockets, or are simply forgotten as passengers rush to their next meeting or destination.

The good news is that London cabbies are more honest than their counterparts in New York:
80% of taxi drivers in London claimed that they had reunited owners with their devices once they were found, compared to just 66% in New York.

Even so, it’s all the more reason to secure any data on these portable devices with encryption – just in case you’re one of the 20% whose device isn’t found.

Here’s a useful article offering business travellers useful tips on how to secure their data when they are travelling.  It covers practical and safe methods to safeguard information on laptops, smartphones and removable storage media in airports and other areas where devices are easily lost or stolen.

However, one recommendation that demands caution is the advice to use free encryption software to protect data on laptop hard drives, USB flash drives and so on.

As we’ve posted here before, this approach gives a fair level of protection for data and is better than no encryption at all.  But it’s worth noting its shortcomings:  such software-based encryption is not “always on” – so the user has to remember to actively encrypt data.  Unlike the hardware encryption on our Cruzer Enterprise range of secure drives.

With a true secure USB flash drive, you don’t have to worry whether the data you’re packing is encrypted.

The results from a recent international security survey showed that a majority of small & medium businesses (SMBs) felt they lacked basic security measures to protect their sensitive business data.

The top three security concerns stated by SMBs were viruses, data breaches, and loss of confidential or proprietary information through USB and other devices.

Yet one of the key findings was the low take-up of endpoint security of any kind, with well over half (56%) of the SMBs surveyed saying they had no endpoint protection deployed.  Two of the key reasons stated for this low level of uptake were lack of budget (41%) and employee skills (40%).

However, there’s no need to spend big money, or deploy large-scale solutions to secure against data loss or leaks via USB.  Secure USB flash drives enable staff to enjoy the portability and convenience of USB without the risks, by automatically securing data copied to them. 

What’s more, these drives can add additional security features, such as anti-malware capability while being easy to use, as this review shows.

With security, it’s often the small things that count.

With Windows 7 now being available to download, many users will be exploring and experimenting with its new features. 

One of these that’s been getting a lot of interest online is the built-in ability to encrypt removable storage devices, such as existing USB thumb drives.  While it’s good to see an operating system with integrated security features, it’s worth looking at the details of exactly how secure the method is.

While this software encryption does offer reasonable protection for data – and is certainly better than no encryption at all – it can still leave data vulnerable.  The software-based encryption used in the article is not “always on” as part of the device specifications – so the user has to remember to actively encrypt data.  Unlike the hardware encryption on our Cruzer Enterprise range of secure USB drives.

Second, hardware-based encryption does not require any type of driver or software installation on the host PC.  This keeps the encryption independent of the PC without leaving behind software footprints. 

So if you’re going to remember to encrypt every piece of sensitive information you carry on a pen drive, the Windows 7 approach is fine – but you shouldn’t rely on it for every user in an organisation.

Solution Provides Integrated Secure Data Storage And Two-Factor Authentication Technology From RSA In SanDisk Cruzer Enterprise Flash Drives

SanDisk Corporation, makers of the Cruzer Enterprise Secure USB Drive has the ability to deploy, store and use RSA SecurID® software tokens from RSA, The Security Division of EMC. This “two-for-one” solution gives users a single device for secure data storage and two-factor authentication, an alternative to carrying both a flash drive and a separate hardware authenticator. Read More »