Page 14 - Campus Security & Life Safety, January 2018

CYBER RISKS
PREVENTING A MAJOR ATTACK
Encrypted USB Storage drives help minimize cyber security risks By Ruben Lugo
It is probably safe to say USB thumb drives are as ubiquitous on a college campus as tablets, laptops and textbooks. Not only are students and faculty using them, so are staff MEMBERS in admis- sions, financial aid, accounting, the health center, the security office and virtually every other department connected to the insti- tution. If – when – data stored on these drives ends up in the wrong hands, public trust can be lost, students and faculty are put at risk, and the school can find itself in the middle of a major PR headache.
Many USB thumb drives being used on campuses today could be generously classified as BYOD (bring your own device) that are prob- ably unencrypted, recently purchased at the checkout counter of a local retail store and more than likely inexpensive. Worst of all, BYODs can be infected with malware and viruses that can adversely affect the entire college network.
But wait, there’s more depressing news. Every year, an alarming 20 million unprotected USB drives are lost, stolen, misplaced or forgotten about. Is it any wonder security risks associated with the use of unen- crypted, removable USB storage devices are a major concern?
Despite these risks, USB thumb drives – as well as other removable storage – have the undeniable utility of being small, portable and rela- tively inexpensive. They are extremely useful for data transfers between computers, including operating system patches and antivirus updates.
Secure, encrypted USB flash drives are an essential pillar of a com- prehensive data-loss prevention (DLP) strategy. The most effective are drives where the security is implemented in the device’s hardware in order to combat ever-evolving threats.
A patent-protected hardware-centric/software-free encryption approach to data security is the best defense against data loss, as it eliminates the most commonly used attack routes. This same soft- ware-free method also provides complete cross-platform compatibil- ity with any OS or embedded equipment possessing a USB port and file storage system.
NEW EU REGULATION IMPACTS U.S. COLLEGE CAMPUSES
After a two-year phase-in period, 2018 marks the complete implemen- tation and strict enforcement of a new European Union regulation that
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CAMPUS SECURITY & LIFE SAFETY
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