This white paper examines the nature of the threat that devices such as iPods, USB sticks, flash drives and PDAs present and the counter-measures that organizations can adopt to eliminate them.
The threats posed by portable storage
devices
Uncontrolled use of iPods, USB sticks, PDAs and other
devices on your network can lead to data theft, introduction of viruses, legal liability issues and more
In a society where the use of portable storage devices is commonplace, the threat that these devices pose to corporations and organizations is often ignored. This white paper examines the nature of the threat that devices such as iPods, USB sticks, flash drives and PDAs present and the counter-measures that organizations can adopt to eliminate them.
WWW.GFI.COM Introduction In an on-demand society where individuals can easily access portable music players, PDAs, mobile phones and digital cameras, technological innovation has responded to personal needs with the development of electronic devices that include data storage capabilities. There is, however, a downside to this modern-day scenario - the misuse of these devices in a corporate environment can spell disaster to a corporation! The statistics are not encouraging; for instance, the 2005 CSI/FBI survey reports that "theft of proprietary information is up from [US] $168,529 in 2004 to [US] $355,552 in 2005" (Gordon et al., 2005).
2005 CSI/FBI computer crime and security survey "Theft of proprietary information up from $168,529 in 2004 to $355,552 in 2005."
Today, corporations who recognize the extent of the data theft problem are enacting security policies that regulate the use of portable storage devices in the corporate environment. But is a security policy alone the best solution to mitigate the risks posed by portable storage devices? And what are the real risks associated with the uncontrolled use of portable storage devices?
Introduction....................................................................................................................................2 The rise of portable storage devices .............................................................................................2 Why do corporations require protection? ......................................................................................3 Commonly used countermeasures................................................................................................6 Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................6 About GFI ......................................................................................................................................7 References ....................................................................................................................................7
The rise of portable storage devices In the last ten years data storage technology has broken all the barriers that used to bind it to large devices that stored limited amounts of data. These technological breakthroughs have:
. Increased data storage and data transfer speeds exponentially . Increased device portability through a substantial reduction in physical device size . Increased device availability by the development of mass-appeal low-cost products . Simplified the connectivity method to computer systems. A typical example is the Apple iPod released in October 2005. This device can store up to 60 GB of data - as much as the typical corporate workstation's hard drive. In practice, this translates to millions of proprietary, financial, consumer and otherwise sensitive corporate records!
WWW.GFI.COM The threats posed by portable storage devices . 3
Transferring data from one computer system to another is nowadays a non-technical, highly efficient, inconspicuous task. This effectively puts corporations in harm's way, since the misuse of portable storage devices can expose corporate networks to a number of dangerous issues which might have an impact on corporations in a variety of ways.
The evolution of portable storage media
Why do corporations require protection? Statistics demonstrate that 98% of all crimes committed against companies in the U.K. had an insider connection (Computer Crime Research Center, 2005). Data theft, legal liabilities, productivity losses and corporate n... [download for more]
