The reality of risks from consented use of USB devices

Physical security is considered an integral part of information systems security. The idea that small devices pose a security threat for enterprises is well established. On the other hand, consented and supervised access to USB ports via USB flash drives is sometimes allowed. This paper will highlight the risk associated with this kind of access by devices such as IPods and USB flash drives. It will show a proof of concept USB device that runs automatically once connected to a personal computer and copies files and folders from the victim\u27s computer to its storage and executes potentially harmful code on the computer without the user\u27s knowledge. The paper then provides measures necessary to mitigate this type of physical attacks