The Verbatim Keypad Secure is a USB drive with AES 256-bit hardware encryption and a built-in keypad for passcode entry. This first part is about my research results concerning the secure USB flash drive Verbatim Keypad Secure shown in the following Figure.įront view of the secure USB flash drive Verbatim Keypad Secure This research continues the long story of insecure portable storage devices with hardware AES encryption that goes back many years. In a series of blog articles (this one being the first one), I want to illustrate how a customer request led to further research resulting in several cryptographically broken “secure” portable storage devices. Unfortunately, even in 2022, “secure” portable storage devices with 256-bit AES hardware encryption and sometimes also biometric technology are sold that are actually not secure when taking a closer look. Because in case of loss or theft of such a storage device, you want to be quite sure that unauthorized access to your confidential data is not possible. If you don’t have Internet security software, you should get it, as it can protect you from a host of issues other than just USB malware.During a research project in the beginning of 2022, SySS IT security expert Matthias Deeg found several security vulnerabilities in different tested USB flash drives with AES hardware encryption.Įncrypting sensitive data at rest has always been a good idea, especially when storing it on small, portable devices like external hard drives or USB flash drives. In the event you accidentally use a device that contains malware, you’re protected. Make sure to keep your Internet security software up to date.No one likes to do them, but software updates are crucial to the security of your computer, as they patch known vulnerabilities. Keep the software on your computer up to date.Always buy your flash drives from reputable, well known manufacturers as well as sellers. Be careful where you purchase your USB drives from, as some shady third party manufacturers are known to manufacture these devices with malware on them.Don’t use the same flash drives for home and work computers, as you could run the risk of cross contaminating your computers.Some newer models have safety features such as fingerprint authentication that help protect the device from hackers. If you see a USB stick lying out in open, public places, do NOT plug it into your computer to see what’s on it. This is a tactic used in social engineering, where the attacker relies on the curiosity of people. Don’t plug unknown flash drives into your computer- this is one of the most important pieces of advice you should follow.
Staying Protected is Easier Than You Think
0 kommentar(er)
