Dsa Lesson 3

The document outlines the importance of understanding and safely using removable media in organizations, highlighting its various forms and applications. It discusses the risks associated with removable media, including data security breaches, malware infections, and hardware failures. The document emphasizes the need for user training and awareness campaigns to mitigate these risks.

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Dsa Lesson 3

Uploaded by

Mami Lalita

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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Lecture

SEC 101 – SECURITY AWARENESS

Lesson Objectives:

1. To understand the use of removable media.

2. To understand the risks and to know how to use the removable media devices
safely and responsibly in an organization.
3. To understand the risk involved in using removable media

SEC 101 – SECURITY AWARENESS 1-2

WHAT IS REMOVABLE MEDIA ?

Removable media can be thought of as a portable

storage medium that allows users to copy data to it and
then take it off site, and vice versa. It presents itself as a
convenient, cost effective storage solution that is available
in many different size capacities and form factors, with
differing transfer speed capabilities. Removable media can
take many forms:

SEC 101 – SECURITY AWARENESS 1-3

• USB Drives (Pen Drives, Portable Hard Drives). • Backup storage for files on PCs, laptops and servers
• Smartphones, music players and similarly • Additional storage space for PCs and laptops
equipped handheld devices • A bootable Live Operating System
• A bootable installation media such as Windows and
• SD Cards Linux
• Optical Media (CDs, DVDs, Bluray) • There are many reasons why removable media might be
required in your business environment, and there are valid
• Legacy Media (T) reasons why you might allow such devices on your network.
• As you can see, removable media encompasses However, as with most technologies, there are risks
a large group of storage technologies, which is involved. The following information will seek to detail the
why some people have difficulty understanding potential risks, as well as some techniques that will help you
to minimize your company’s risk of exposure to the dangers
what is meant by the term. Adding to some of
that are associated with removable media. This information
this confusion is the function that removable needs to be passed onto your users via the following
media serves. There are a few different methods, with which we go into more detail towards the end
applications for removable media, including: of the article. They are:

SEC 101 – SECURITY AWARENESS 1-4

• Initial user training and IT policy explanations
• Periodic refreshers
• A concerted ongoing awareness campaign from the IT department
• Newsletters and company-wide email reminders

SEC 101 – SECURITY AWARENESS 1-5

WHAT ARE THE RISKS INVOLVED
W/ USING REMOVABLE MEDIA ?

There are many advantages to using

removable media, chief among which is the quick
and convenient means by which users can copy,
transfer and backup data. This same ease of use
and convenience is part of the problem with • Data Security
• Malware Infections
removable media, however, as malware and • Copyright Infringement
viruses are able to easily replicate and distribute • Hardware Failures
themselves to unprotected removable storage
devices that are not write-protected. Here are
some other risks that removable media can expose
your company to, if not managed properly:

SEC 101 – SECURITY AWARENESS 1-6

Data Security
Any time that an employee copies sensitive data
to removable media such as a thumb drive or CD,
there is a risk of that data being accessed by It is important to remember that once a device is
unauthorized personnel. One such case occurred no longer in your possession, you have no control
in 2012 when a detective in Manchester, England over the data or who has access to it. Confidential
had his house burgled. His USB stick containing information can then be transmitted to other
the details of over 1000 individuals relating to parties, or posted online for all to see. There are
investigations was stolen during this incident. some devices and software applications that
Greater Manchester Police was then fined over encrypt data on your device or media, giving you
£120,000 ($155,000 at today’s exchange rate) an added layer of protection in the event of your
following an investigation of the incident. So we device getting lost or stolen.
can see that there are real financial implications
for such occurrences because of the seriousness of
data security breaches.

SEC 101 – SECURITY AWARENESS 1-7

Malware Infections
Malicious software, or malware, is a major
problem for modern businesses. Malware is able to
spread via removable media, and it is risky to use Media Failure
such media if the source cannot be identified .One
Removable Media is inherently risky as a primary storage
such example is a recent study that has shown that as
solution, and for many reasons. Due to the low cost and high
many as half of the USB sticks that are picked up in
production quantities of the different media types and
parking lots of business properties are then plugged devices, some may have shorter life spans than others. It is
into the user’s computer once they get inside their therefore really important for users to understand the
offices. This means that any malicious software that importance of storing sensitive, important and confidential
is on the USB drive can then infect the company information safely and securely on the organization’s file
network. Rewriteable CDs, DVDs, and BluRays are server or NAS device. This is so that in the event of media
all capable of delivering a malicious payload if failure, loss, theft or damage, then the data that is lost on the
autorun is enabled on a desktop PC, laptop or server, media is at least backed up to another source.
so having an up to date antivirus application is
essential for businesses to ensure the continued safety
of their network.