Why should I care about removable storage devices?

Removable storage devices such as USB thumb drives, MP3 players, CD/DVD burners, and FireWire drives all pose risk to your personal information if they are not properly controlled. The plug-and-play and auto-run functionality of these devices are certainly convenient, but they represent a serious gap in your computer security profile.

The risk of personal information theft becomes a reality with the widespread availability and use of removable devices such as large external USB drives, portable USB thumb drives, and the seemingly innocent MP3 players. While sitting in a coffee shop or airline lounge, a laptop left unattended for even a few moments could be compromised – without you ever knowing it.

Many external drives made today possess multiple megabytes (MBs) of portable storage space; large enough to store all the data found in a typical personal computer – certainly enough to store a handful of confidential files. In the time it takes to order a cup of coffee, your data can easily be downloaded onto an MP3 player, smartphone, camera, or memory stick. So-called “slurping” programs – readily available to anyone online - can copy an average “My Documents” folder onto a portable drive in just 65 seconds.

Stolen data is the foundation of identity theft, personal information theft, and even extortion or blackmail. Having your computer under your physical control at all times simply isn’t possible. Other methods must be used to protect your PC when you step away.

External storage devices need to be managed just as carefully as your sensitive accounts and passwords.

One option is to simply block the availability of USBs and CD/DVD burners, but this isn’t a workable solution for most PC users. These devices have a purpose, and blocking their use altogether diminishes the value of using the PC. We need to be able to burn CDs when we want to – but not allow other people to steal files from our PC using this same device.

The best way to protect your PC against unauthorized file copying is to install ClearShield, giving you control over how and when these drives are available. You can block them, password protect them, or even register your own personal devices to be allowed to connect to your computer.

Encryption is a technology that effectively scrambles the information in your personal files and prevents other people from viewing or reading them. When you enter your password to unlock the files, they are de-scrambled and become available for you to use. Without this password, no hackers or thieves can view, read, or use your personal information for their gain. So, if a thief somehow gets their hands on your personal files, they are essentially useless to them because they are encrypted by ClearShield.

Download ClearShield now to protect your confidential files from being taken.