User Rating: / 6
PoorBest 

Everybody is aware of the value of USB pens, not only for their practical use, but also, in the case of a printed USB, their commercial value too.

It is important then to not forget that USB pens, if not used safely, can pose security risks, particularly when in commercial use. There have been stories in the press recently of Doctors and politicians losing USB pens containing important confidential data, which can be potentially damaging. How then are organisations to minimise this risk?

In order to reduce these risks, a company has to first recognise them. For example, setting guidelines of policies for staff which outline the appropriate uses so that mistakes, accidents and misuses are less likely to occur.

Secondly, it is worthwhile for companies to provide their staff members with individual company USB sticks; branding these sticks helps to identify the source if lost and too reduces the possibility of external devices accessing corporate data.

A recent survey by Credant Technologies showed that as many as 1 in 10 employees have lost USB sticks containing company or sensitive data. There is an easy way to avoid any misgivings becoming a result of this, simply by ensuring that all USB pens are password protected.

Furthermore, the problem does not even begin with the USB pen initially. It is fairly easy to ensure that sensitive data cannot be removed from the system in the first place, meaning that if any sensitive data cannot be removed, it cannot be transferred to a USB pen and therefore either lost or stolen.