If You Find a Random USB Drive, Never Do This One Thing

Sometimes, we find things that people lose on the streets and other times we find things that people just toss to get rid of. There's that old saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure". While this may be true on some things you randomly find, there are some items you should never take off the ground.

A post has been circulating all over Facebook for the past couple of days about random USB drives being found. These handy digital storage units are relatively cheap and can sometimes be picked up in bulk. I have at least a dozen of them at home and at the office. Why do I have so many of them? It's because I cannot keep track of them, ever.

Never Do This One Thing With a USB Device You Find

Facebook user Victoria Jodoin posted a photo of a USB drive found on her driveway on September 8. She thought nothing of it until she spoke with her husband. Jodoin's husband works in a high technology field and he told her that this is a common practice with criminals and it is known as a Drop Attack.

USB Drop Attacks Can Ruin Your Life

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According to Nord VPN, a drop attack is done by leaving a USB drive in a public place or the case of Victoria's situation, her driveway. When the unsuspecting person picks it up and puts the device in their computer, the USB drive unloads malicious software like malware, spyware, and ransomware on the victim's computer.

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Knowing that something like this could potentially be damaging to not only our computer, but financial situation, and the fear of identity theft if you find a random USB drive, it is just better to leave it alone. To learn more about USB Drop Attacks and how they can affect you, visit nordvpn.com.