Protecting a USB Key from Viruses, Etc

[allanc]

What is the best way to protect my USB key from being infected by viruses on client's PCs?
Model number of USB keys available in Canada that offer that capability are appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

 

[NYJimbo]

Any USB drive with a actual write protect switch is your best bet. I love the kangaru's:

http://www.kanguru.com/flashblu2.html

 

[allanc]

Any USB drive with a actual write protect switch is your best bet. I love the kangaru's:

http://www.kanguru.com/flashblu2.html

I cannot seem to locate that one at my suppliers' WEB site.
What I have found are 'hardware encrption' and 'password protection'.

 

[angry_geek]

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820208362

It's purple, but it has write protection and is on the ca site.

 

[TimeCode]

I cannot seem to locate that one at my suppliers' WEB site.
What I have found are 'hardware encrption' and 'password protection'.

You can't buy it from the manufacturer's site?

 

[purple_minion]

I just bought a usb/sdhc adapter and a 32gb sd card. The adapter I got off amazon, and read through a lot of reviews to hopefully find a good one. I believe it was a sandisk model, and it looked pretty close to a thumb drive form, all white too. It also said it supported 32GB cards, so I should be good on that front. Hopefully the usb adapter will listen to the lock switch, as some of them ignore it. If not, well it'll make sweet extra space for my eeepc... or a ****-ton of photos for my 6MP camera. I will also be able to pop any card into the adapter, to perhaps store updates, or usb boot options like a linux distro.

 

[purple_minion]

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820208362

It's purple, but it has write protection and is on the ca site.

The ones I found on newegg were only one model, icruzer or something, and the reviews said it had HORRIBLE speeds. I simply went with an adapter and SD card.

 

[allanc]

The ones I found on newegg were only one model, icruzer or something, and the reviews said it had HORRIBLE speeds. I simply went with an adapter and SD card.

I have never had any issues with Kingston products (USB, RAM, etc).
I *do* have a Kingston 19-in-1 reader but I do not think that it offers write protection.
Also, I would rather carry one USB key than a reader, usb cable, sd card, etc.

 

[allanc]

You can't buy it from the manufacturer's site?

I just found out that they are available from D&H.
I completed their new customer app. last week and am waiting to hear back from them.

 

[Keegan]

here is a great tool for protecting usb sticks from virus:

http://research.pandasecurity.com/archive/Panda-USB-and-AutoRun-Vaccine.aspx

 

[purple_minion]

I have never had any issues with Kingston products (USB, RAM, etc).
I *do* have a Kingston 19-in-1 reader but I do not think that it offers write protection.
Also, I would rather carry one USB key than a reader, usb cable, sd card, etc.

This was no cable needed, and the card stays in the usb drive, just like a thumb drive.

 

[purple_minion]

here is a great tool for protecting usb sticks from virus:

http://research.pandasecurity.com/archive/Panda-USB-and-AutoRun-Vaccine.aspx

This will not protect your files on the drive from becoming infected.

 

[PatrickB]

here is a great tool for protecting usb sticks from virus:

It is the other way around. Since this Panda software neuters autoplay on Windows, that means that a virus on the thumb drive could not autoplay and infect the machine it is plugged into.

On the other hand, an infected computer could infect the USB thumb drive whether autoplay is enabled or not.

-- Patrick B.

 

[purple_minion]

My SanDisk Micromate arrived today, and it doesn't write to the SD card when it is locked. It's not ideal, it's wider then a thumbdrive, the lanyard is on the cap, which could get lost, and the sd card isn't protected when the cap isn't on the back. I suppose time will tell if I can forgive these short comings. In my mind there really isn't much in the way of options of write protected flash, at least on the limited set I ever found.

 

[Keegan]

It is the other way around. Since this Panda software neuters autoplay on Windows, that means that a virus on the thumb drive could not autoplay and infect the machine it is plugged into.

On the other hand, an infected computer could infect the USB thumb drive whether autoplay is enabled or not.

-- Patrick B.

i don't know which viruses you normally get on a usb stick, the only ones i have ever got is the one who makes a autorun.inf whith a link to the virus.
After i used this no more viruses on my usb pen
so yes this works

 

[allanc]

i don't know which viruses you normally get on a usb stick, the only ones i have ever got is the one who makes a autorun.inf whith a link to the virus.
After i used this no more viruses on my usb pen
so yes this works

I am concerned that a virus could infect an .exe on the USB stick.

 

[PatrickB]

Thank you Keegan for making me take a closer look at the Panda USB and Autorun Vaccine. It actually does turn off autorun on the computer and will also lock the Autorun.inf on a USB stick to prevent it from being redirected to autostart a new EXE on the stick. However, it still will not prevent the USB stick from being infected.

A virus, like Conficker on a computer, will infect a USB stick by creating/altering the Autorun.inf to start up the virus from the USB stick. Then, if the infection goes unnoticed, when that USB stick is plugged into another computer that allows Autorun to work, then that computer becomes infected.

So, Panda keeps Windows from Autoplaying USB sticks. That means that the infection on the USB stick will not start and infect the computer. That Panda utility appears to do nothing from keeping a virus already on the computer from infecting the USB stick. What Panda does claim is that their software will lock the existing Autorun.inf on the USB stick so that it cannot be modified to run a virus on the stick. That is good that the virus will not autostart. However, if any program on the USB stick has been infected and is then run, then the virus will still do its nasty work.

What exactly does Panda do to lock the autorun.inf file on the USB stick under Fat or Fat32?



On a related subject, I understand that, by default, Windows 7 disables Autorunning from a thumbdrive. (Security Now http://www.grc.com/sn/sn-197.htm)

Microsoft actually did a study which showed, I think it was 17 percent of viruses, yes, 17.7 percent of malware was propagating through autorun. And so they said, okay, this is wrong, let's turn that off. So that's another improvement. So CDs and DVDs by default will still launch when you install them. But no other removable drives will. You don't even get the pop-up that prompts you for what action to take because users tend to take the wrong action. It's just silent. It's like, nope, we're not going to have that. That does mean, though, that simulators of CDs and DVDs, like U3, they do still work. They look like a CD, like a removable optical drive, specifically in order to get that autoplay functionality. And so those will still work.

For Windows XP and Windows Vista, you can disable them using information from Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967715

... and from Security Now:
http://www.grc.com/sn/sn-187.htm



-- Patrick B.

 

[Bobbing]

Write protect

Imation makes USB drives that have a write protect switch.
You can find those at Grand & Toy, and Corporate Express (Staples).

http://www.imation.ca/en_CA/products/flash/swivel/flashdrives.htm

 

[stevenamills]

Imation makes USB drives that have a write protect switch.
You can find those at Grand & Toy, and Corporate Express (Staples).

http://www.imation.ca/en_CA/products/flash/swivel/flashdrives.htm

Thanks for pointing that out. It seems makers that have the switch don't say much about it.

From the prices I'm seeing the Imation is competitive through 8GB, but gets stupid at 16gb.

The Kanguru is under $50 (US) for their 16GB Blu II. Has anyone tried it?

 

[Vicenarian]

I own a Kanguru Flashblu II 4 GB, and it's fantastic. Seems very sturdy. Very good read/write speeds too. Bought it for like $40.00 off onhop.ca or something. Ncix has it too, but was backordered when I checked.