USB drives are unsafe, security lab finds

Are you aware that USB drives suffer from a serious security flaw that evades all known security?

The glitch named BadUSB allows someone to take control over the brain of a USB drive - the controller chip.

An infected USB drive could then run an unknown programme, redirect traffic or run a virus file at computer start-up, Berlin-based Security Research Labs reported.

In other words, every USB device could be misused to take over any computer.

"The scariest part is that there is no effective defence from USB attacks, yet. BadUSB cannot be detected by scanners and is very hard to clean up from an infected computer," the report said.

Even reinstalling the operating system is not enough.

Once infected, computers and their USB peripherals can never be trusted again.

USB devices are connected to and built into almost all computers.

From connecting drives, external hard disks, mice and keyboards, cellphone chargers to external devices like lights, web cameras and medical devices, the USB is everywhere, and the threat too.