With the millions of flash drives in use today, secure USB flash devices are not an option but a necessity for those desiring to keep their data safe. While secure USB drives and Flash drives have made data more mobile than ever before unfortunately at the same time it has made data more vulnerable to loss, theft and corruption. SanDisk produces secure USB drives equipped with anti- malware which drastically reduces and nearly eliminates all threats to data by those not authorized to access the data.

Secure USB Drives and Central Control Capability

Secure USB drives that are managed through a central control program can be monitored or terminated from a central control server if they become subject of a threat or attack but if no such control program is in place the threat to security remains very real. Recently the US Military put a ban on the use of flash drives because of the growing threat to data security because they were not using secure USB drives. This can be attributed to the fact that there was no central access and control program in place. Without secure USB drives the only way to safeguard the data and operating system is to put a general ban on the use of flash drives system wide.

A system that is without secure USB devices also is vulnerable from attacks on data in the form of theft, loss and misuse of confidential data. Flash drives where the data is not encrypted is vulnerable as soon as it falls into unauthorized hands. AES algorithm encryption used with secure USB drives prevents data from being accessed or misused by those unauthorized to use it. A solution for the US Military should have been to implement secure USB drives like the ones produced by SanDisk Enterprise which uses the AES 256-bit encryption. If at any time they suspected misused the central access and control could have terminated the use of suspected flash drives.

Secure USB Drives and Anti-Malware

The use of secure USB drives is necessary to prevent attacks on flash drives and operating systems and the software used to do this is called anti-malware. Anti-malware software featured in secure USB drives can make viruses ineffective, stopping them cold and rendering them unable to create havoc or the destruction of data. McAfee, a global security company, provides software for SanDisk Enterprise's secure USB drives. The anti-malware scans for intruders or attacks to flash drives and operating systems. The anti-malware software removes the threat to data before it has an opportunity to access or corrupt data and before it can be uploaded and infect the main operating system.

The need to utilize a secure USB drives which are strong on the front and back lines should concern every entity that needs mobile data. The bottom line is if data is going to be mobile then it needs to be encrypted for security reasons. Secure USB drives feature total encryption of data which is necessary to protect confidential information from being exploited by unauthorized users and maintains a strong front line defense with password authentication allowing data to be stored safely and securely. Secure USB drives manufactured by SanDisk Enterprise utilize an 8-letter combination password and this makes accessing passwords virtually impossible.