Use USB sticks and external drives safely

USB sticks and external drives are handy, but a common route for malware and data loss. These rules help.

Basic rules

  • Never plug in unknown or found USB sticks. They are deliberately left as bait.

  • Only use your own drives or those issued by it-tects.

  • To share with colleagues or external people, share a OneDrive link instead.

  • Eject before unplugging: on Windows via the icon in the taskbar, on Mac via the eject icon in Finder.

  • Report a lost drive with company data to support immediately.

Encrypt drives

  • Windows: In File Explorer, right-click the drive › Turn on BitLocker and set a password.

  • macOS: In Finder, right-click the drive › Encrypt “[name]” and set a password.

Note: On some company devices, Sophos blocks USB drives. Only it-tects can grant exceptions.

Tags
usb
Secure passwords and password managers
Switch user or log out – macOS