If you stay updated with the security world, then you might have heard that it’s not exactly safe to stick strange & unknown USB sticks to your laptop or computer. However, have you ever wondered why security experts always recommend that? What’re the possible threats that you have to face?
Here’s Why You Should Never Connect Unknown USB Devices to Your PC
Well, if we look around, we will find that life without USB Drives would be touch. Just think about it. USB flash drives are now used to store tons of files, folders, valuable data, etc. USB drives are indeed a more excellent way to transfer data super quickly.
If you stay updated with the security world, then you might have heard that it’s not exactly safe to stick strange & unknown USB sticks to your laptop or computer. However, have you ever wondered why security experts always recommend that? What’re the possible threats that you have to face?
Here in this article, we have decided to throw some lights on the security threats that you might face if you picked and connected an unknown USB drive into your laptop or desktop computer.
So, what could happen if I pick a stray USB and plug it in?
According to a study, almost half of all people who encounter random USB sticks will plug it into one of their computers and start browsing the files therein. Out of all these people, 70% of them will not take any security precaution before plugging in.
Well, the most significant risk here is the possibility of malware infection on the device. You might open a random email for shopping purpose which might contain the virus. Things might look simple at first, but hackers always use virus-infected email attachments to turn victims computer into the botnet.
Or the USB Stick which you just picked might have a hidden keylogger which is meant to scrape your passwords and credit card numbers. So, the possibilities are never-ending. What makes things more worst and disastrous is the risk of ransomware which can lock down your entire computer and ask you to pay the ransom.
So, what should you do?
Well, it’s simple! Don’t even touch stray USB Drives. Leave them as it is, and even if you choose to pick it, never plug them into your computer. If you are willing to plug the USB drive into your computer, you’re just gambling and playing with your luck. So, what’s your opinion on this? Share your views in the comment box below.
