FBI warns that hackers are mailing malware on USB drives to their targets

We’ve continued to speak out about the importance of encrypted USB drives. Whether for enterprise, for the security of your business, the customers and clients who have entrusted you with their Personal Identifiable Information (PII) or simply the benefits of encrypted drives for personal security. From tax forms that you take to your accountant, to a safe place to keep anything from important health records to beloved photos you couldn’t bear to lose. We’ve also made mention about being weary of inserting any unknown USB drives into your system. Whether it’s a USB drive you found right outside your office or school or one given out as a freebie, what we know is that the random USB drives you plug into your work or personal systems can be BadUSBs that open you up to a world of trouble with malware, ransomware etc.

Now, though, we’re seeing evidence that hackers and scammers are no longer waiting for poor souls to come across a myriad of USB traps they may have set. BadUSB devices are being shipped directly to unsuspecting victims. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has cautioned that a hacker group is sending BadUSBs through the post to companies in particular industries that might hold valuable information. Whether out of curiosity or hoping to find the owner of the drives, they’re banking on you opening the door for their attack on your network. This happens by plugging their trap into your computer.