While wanting to return a found USB flash drive is commendable, you should avoid taking unnecessary risks, lest your device get infested and your data compromised.
External data storage devices have been around almost as long as computers have existed. Magnetic tape and floppy disks, which were once the dominant media, are now mostly fond memories, while optical discs are mostly used in gaming consoles. For the past 20 years, the dominant player on the external storage scene has been the USB flash drive. No wonder: over the years, their storage capacity has increased, and their prices have dropped.
However, even if the humble flash drive has withstood the test of time – at least for now – it has been associated with a number of risks. Especially, due to its small form factor, portability, and ease of access, it can be used to smuggle data out of companies or used to deliver a malware payload that could wreak havoc on systems.
Let’s look at the proper cybersecurity practices you should use when handling strange flash drives lying around that you may have stumbled upon.
Oh look, someone dropped a flash drive!
If there were one piece of advice we could give when it comes to stumbling upon a lost flash drive, it would be just to give it to the authorities or drop it off at the lost and found office or box. That would be the end of it, and you’d feel good about yourself.
However, since good Samaritans haven’t died out just yet and people are naturally curious creatures; in an effort to help satisfy their curiosity, many will plug such a “found” flash drive into their devices to learn more. The stories aren’t just anecdotal ..
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