Data Leakage with USB Devices

If you think that your users would never steal any data from the company then take a look at these 3 articles.  Each of these show just how careless users can be with USB devices, 2 of these I’m sure were not done to harm anyone, but 1 of these definitely was. 

Records loss may violate U.S. law
‘Total files’ of patients, many with HIV and AIDS, missing

“A low-level Harris County Hospital District administrator probably violated federal law when she downloaded medical and financial records for 1,200 patients with HIV, AIDS and other medical conditions onto a flash drive that later was lost or stolen, legal experts said Thursday.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5931497.html

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Report: Korean Execs Stole $1.8B in Trade Secrets

“Company leaders allegedly defected to rival company with 900 documents loaded onto USB drives”

http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=139010

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Nuclear Lab Breach Could Be ‘Devastating’
CBS News Exclusive: Data Found In Drug Raid Contains Weapons-Design Secrets

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/03/national/main2151021.shtml

Security lab may face $3.3m fine for data leak
“Classified files, computer storage devices found in trailer-park drug raid”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19752730/

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Added: 8/21/08 

Yet another story about missing data via USB devices, this one from the UK.

Data on 130,000 criminals lost.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/2601056/Data-on-130000-criminals-lost.html

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Added 8/21/08  Another case of someone trying to do harm.

At Countrywide, One Overlooked PC Led to Loss of 2M Records

http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=161548&f_src=drweekly

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As Admins we need to be able to track down who is using USB storage devices and what they are doing.  EventTracker not only gathers your Event Logs (Windows and Syslog) but can also track when USB storage devices are used and what users copy/modify or delete from them.  (www.prismmicrosys.com)