Apricorn comment - Researchers uncover 75,000 deleted files on used USB drives
November 2020 by Jon Fielding, Managing Director, EMEA Apricorn
In light of the news that researchers uncovered 75,000 deleted files on used USB drives, the Comment from Jon Fielding, Managing Director, EMEA Apricorn:
"This is a prime example of user error and the risks of not encrypting sensitive data. The researchers who purchased these devices used "publicly-available tools" to easily retrieve the sensitive information. If these devices had been encrypted, or even better, if they were encrypted with a reset and/or “self-destruct” feature that removes the encryption key when executed, the data could not have been accessed. Any USB device that contains files determined to be of "high sensitivity", should always we encrypted.
Without encryption, the end result is that if these devices are lost, stolen, or in this case, sold, they could very easily land in unscrupulous hands with serious repercussions. Whether it be personal data, intellectual property or corporate sensitive information, simply using encrypted USB devices will ensure that even when files are deleted, these cannot be retrieved and the contents remain obscured and inaccessible."