Comments on: How to secure and automatically backup your USB memory stick http://4sysops.com/archives/how-to-secure-and-automatically-backup-your-usb-memory-stick/ For Windows Administrators Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:09:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Melody http://4sysops.com/archives/how-to-secure-and-automatically-backup-your-usb-memory-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-126451 Melody Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:57:17 +0000 http://4sysops.com/archives/how-to-secure-and-automatically-backup-your-usb-memory-stick/#comment-126451 Thank you for this useful trick. As a PhD student, fear of losing the data on my USB stick has always been a nightmare. Today I decided to do something about it and that's why by a google search I ended up here. My USB stick already has autorun.inf Could you please tell me what I should do? Thank you for this useful trick. As a PhD student, fear of losing the data on my USB stick has always been a nightmare. Today I decided to do something about it and that’s why by a google search I ended up here.

My USB stick already has autorun.inf

Could you please tell me what I should do?

]]> By: Michael http://4sysops.com/archives/how-to-secure-and-automatically-backup-your-usb-memory-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-37310 Michael Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:21:04 +0000 http://4sysops.com/archives/how-to-secure-and-automatically-backup-your-usb-memory-stick/#comment-37310 Ron, you’re right, autorun is a security risk. But that applies to any auto starting program. Manual backups are a risk as well. If you lose important data because of an outdated backup, it might be worse than starting a virus that will be caught by your antivirus software anyway. Most people simply forget to create a backup on a daily basis. Ron, you’re right, autorun is a security risk. But that applies to any auto starting program. Manual backups are a risk as well. If you lose important data because of an outdated backup, it might be worse than starting a virus that will be caught by your antivirus software anyway. Most people simply forget to create a backup on a daily basis.

]]> By: Ron http://4sysops.com/archives/how-to-secure-and-automatically-backup-your-usb-memory-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-36621 Ron Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:12:48 +0000 http://4sysops.com/archives/how-to-secure-and-automatically-backup-your-usb-memory-stick/#comment-36621 Autorun is "nice", but it is also a security hole. A commonly suggested security procedure is to disable autorun on USB and CD/DVD. If you do nothing else to limit what programs are allowed to autorun, then anything can run, including malware on the USB device. I have used a similar process to the one you described except that I used batch files instead of autoruns'. The batch file was setup with the following four manually triggered processes (paragraphs/steps). Plug USB into Work machine - copy transported working files/folders to work machine/lan. For faster access to files than USB and to reduce "wear" on the flash memory? End of Work day - copy files/folders to be transported to USB device Plug USB into home machine - copy transported files /folders (presumes different drive mapping) End of Home day - copy files/folders to be transported to USB Device I have the batch file plus 3 shortcuts which pass batch parameters to branch appropriate batch commands. This approach requires that I remember to click on the appropriate shortcut on the USB, but since I need access to the files, I tend to remember it easily enough. I just got into the habit. Autorun is “nice”, but it is also a security hole. A commonly suggested security procedure is to disable autorun on USB and CD/DVD.

If you do nothing else to limit what programs are allowed to autorun, then anything can run, including malware on the USB device.

I have used a similar process to the one you described except that I used batch files instead of autoruns’. The batch file was setup with the following four manually triggered processes (paragraphs/steps).

Plug USB into Work machine – copy transported working files/folders to work machine/lan. For faster access to files than USB and to reduce “wear” on the flash memory?

End of Work day – copy files/folders to be transported to USB device

Plug USB into home machine – copy transported files /folders (presumes different drive mapping)

End of Home day – copy files/folders to be transported to USB Device

I have the batch file plus 3 shortcuts which pass batch parameters to branch appropriate batch commands.

This approach requires that I remember to click on the appropriate shortcut on the USB, but since I need access to the files, I tend to remember it easily enough. I just got into the habit.

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