This device could stop USB cyberattacks for good
Malicious USB drives pose a significant security threat to both consumers and organizations
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AlthoughUSB devicessuch asflash drivesare convenient and make moving data between devices easier, they can also be abused by cybercriminals to infect computers withmalwareand other viruses.
This is why a team of scientists and professors from Liverpool Hope University in the UK have created a sophisticated new device capable of countering the threats posed by malicious USB devices.
The project, led by Dr Shishir Kumar Shandilya alongside Professor Atulya Nagar, is aimed at removing one of the most common paths through which malicious files and programs can be injected by attackers and cybercriminals.
Dr Shandilya provided further insight on how one of the main problems with flash drives is that a computer’soperating systemoften treats them as a ‘trusted component’ in apress release, saying:
“If the OS is not configured to restrict and promote the user’s permission on an inserted USB device, then as soon as the USB drive is inserted it can execute default auto run script that can deliver the intended payload to the computing devices and deliver multiple kinds of malicious programs such as viruses, Trojans, Keyloggers, Spyware, Remote Access Trojans (RATs), and so forth to the computing devices.”
Intermediate device
For this reason, Dr Shandilya and Professor Nagar have come up with the idea of using a new type of ‘intermediate’ device which sits between a flash drive and the USB ports onlaptopsorcomputers.
This intermediate device acts as a gateway or barrier and is capable of scanning a USB drive formalicious softwarewhich could potentially stop a cyberattack before it has even begun.
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According to Dr Shadilya, the team’s new invention safeguards the host computing device by providing an additional layer of hardware security that can also hide the host’soperating systeminformation. This is accomplished by presenting disguised information about a computer to external devices. However, the intermediate device also has a method to identify malware and can grant full-access, partial-access or a full-block to a USB device.
The team’s new device is part of an emerging field of cybersecurity research known as Nature-Inspired Cyber Security (NICS). This new field incorporates ideas and phenomena from the natural world to ensure an operating system doesn’t fall prey to a predator and is able to ward off attacks.
Dr Shadilya and the team are currently in the process of getting in touch with manufacturers to bring the device to market though they have a fully-functional prototype already.
After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.
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