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ALERT: SmartPhones – Twice as Dangerous as USB Flash Drives

Every IT professional knows that USB storage devices such as flash drives are notorious for
carrying malware and exploiting USB autorun features to expose viruses to corporate
enterprises. In fact, a Microsoft study in 2011 on 600 million systems revealed that malware
1
infections via USB storage devices were responsible for 26% of the total infection rate , and that
rate steadily increases year-to-year.

In 2014, Microsoft further showed that 5 out of 10 malware instances are worms spread by USB
2
removable drives. That astounding number of potential infections has led many IT
departments to outlaw the use of USB
flash drives on enterprise-connected
machines. Nevertheless, infection rates
through USB continue to climb.

Perhaps a major reason for the increase in
and severity of these infections is the
pervasive use of smartphones for
consumer and business purposes.

After all, a smartphone is a USB storage
device with a LOT more capability both for
good and malicious purposes.
Smartphones can not only carry around a
virus (along with your personal
information), they can also execute the
virus on the phone itself, AND they can
communicate wirelessly with the cyber
criminals that put it there.
Yet most people never think twice about
plugging their smartphones into any USB
port within reach for a quick charge,
especially while traveling.

It should therefore be said at shouting
level: SMARTPHONES ARE AT LEAST
TWICE AS DANGEROUS AS USB
FLASH DRIVES!

Even Hollywood is picking up on the
increasing trend in juice-jacking and
understands the severity of having your

1 Microsoft Security Intelligence Report Volume 11, January-June, 2011
2 Microsoft Security Intelligence Report Volume 17 English, multiple authors, Page 97, January – June 2014
57 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – June 2015 Edition
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