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Workers Banned From Using USB Sticks at IBM

posted by mrpg on Saturday May 12 2018, @11:01PM   Printer-friendly
from the man-nc dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

[...] The possibility of "financial and reputational" damage if staff lost or misused the devices prompted the decision, reported The Register.

Instead, IBM staff who need to move data around will be encouraged to do so via an internal network.

[...] Some IBM departments had been banned from using removable portable media for some time, said Ms Naidoo, but now the decree was being implemented worldwide. IBM staff are expected to stop using removable devices by the end of May.

[...] Security expert Kevin Beaumont said: "It is a brave move by IBM, as USB devices do present a real risk - often it is very easy to extract data from a company via these devices, and introduce malicious software."

[...] Sumir Karayi, chief executive of security company 1E, said IBM's ban was an "overreaction" by security staff who had not realised the many different ways data flowed in and out of an organisation.

[...] On 25 May, the GDPR rules are enacted, which impose heavy fines on organisations that do not do enough to protect sensitive information.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Snotnose on Sunday May 13 2018, @12:33AM

    by Snotnose (1623) on Sunday May 13 2018, @12:33AM (#679004)

    For some 20 years now I've carried a USB thumb drive like others carry cigarette lighters or knives. I travel between buildings, and work from home when forced to. My thumb drive makes everything ez peezy. I've got a 64 gig drive in my pocket right now with several music albums and a dozen company confidential files. I can drive to a building I've never been to, plug my thumb in, listen to music I enjoy, and troubleshoot their problem while referring to the files on my thumb.

    Fun fact. I recently came across the first thumb drive I ever bought. It's the size of a cigarette lighter and holds a whopping 256 megs. It has 1 album on it, and 3 files describing a then new Globalstar spec, plus my resume

    When I was 20 I couldn't imagine not carrying a lighter. Then I quit smoking pot.

    When I was 60 I couldn't imagine how to move between buildings/home without logins to domains I'm not a part of, nor listen to music I enjoy, without a thumb drive.

    I now have a 32 gig thumb drive in my car stereo and a 64 gig drive in my pocket.

    --
    I came. I saw. I forgot why I came.
    Starting Score:    1  point
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