This document is about the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) and its secure USB flash drives. ENISA is a center of excellence for European Member States and institutions in network and information security, providing advice and recommendations and facilitating contacts between European institutions, Member States, and private business and industry actors.
This ENISA publication discusses the growing use of USB flash drives in corporate environments and the associated security challenges. It highlights that these portable storage devices often lack adequate security, control, and management tools, leaving corporate data vulnerable.
The document provides practical guidelines, including policy recommendations, awareness‑raising measures, and technical safeguards to help organisations protect information stored on USB flash drives. It also offers checklists and safety tips for preventing data leakage and theft.
USB flash drives are usually lacking in security, control and management tools, making corporate data stored on them vulnerable.
The first step is to set clear security policies and make employees aware of them.
Recent events have raised concern, leading organisations to understand that to secure corporate information stored on personal USB drives, new policies and technologies must be put in place.