A Flash Drive & Viruses

Flash drives can easily spread computer viruses.

USB flash drives (also called thumb drives) are portable storage devices that connect to a computer's USB port. They are used to store and transfer data between computers. Because many people use them, they are increasingly responsible for the spread of viruses.

Spreading Viruses

Copying an infected computer file onto a flash drive will cause the virus to spread to any other computer that connects to the device. Computers infected with viruses at Internet cafes and other public places can, therefore, cause malware to spread quickly.

Considerations

Flash drive viruses can proliferate because many computer users only associate viruses and spyware with email attachments and malicious websites. They may not realize that it is just as important to scan flash drives for viruses and to be wary of copying data from other people's flash drives.

Prevention/Solution

Trend Micro Inc., which makes antivirus software, advises people not to share their flash drives indiscriminately. Antivirus software programs can also prevent the spread of malicious programs via flash drives. Do not open files stored in a flash drive before scanning them for viruses.

References

• The Japan Times Online: Flash Drive Viruses Spreading Fast
• PC1News.com: USB Flash Drives - A Perfect Place for Computer Viruses to Hide