| As IBM have found out to their cost it pays to be very | | | | popular and cost effective gifts particularly if they are |
| careful who you buy your promotional flash drives | | | | pre-loaded with sales material, brochures, presentation |
| from and you need to make sure that your supplier | | | | slides etc. But, we recommend a couple of important |
| checks the disks before they are shipped out to you. | | | | things to consider when buying your promotional flash |
| Somewhat ironically at a Security Conference held in | | | | drives: |
| Australia this week IBM staff were unknowingly | | | | |
| handing our promotional flash drives with malware on | | | | 1. Pre-loading data such as PDF's, PowerPoint sides, |
| them. The flash drives were distributed free to | | | | spreadsheets, Word documents etc. is fine but think |
| prospective customers that approached the their | | | | carefully before you ask for auto-run files to be |
| booth. The malware is apparently known by a number | | | | pre-loaded onto your flash drives. Auto-run files seem |
| of names and is contained in the setup.exe and | | | | like a good idea because they force the user to view |
| autorun.ini files. The malware (virus) is spread when the | | | | your pre-loaded information but you do, as IBM have |
| infected USB drive is inserted into any Microsoft | | | | discovered, run a very small risk with auto-run files of |
| Windows PC or server. On insertion the setup.exe and | | | | introducing malware. |
| autorun.ini files (the virus) run automatically. | | | | 2. Choose your supplier of branded memory sticks |
| For those unlucky enough to have used the USB | | | | very carefully and make sure they understand the |
| memory sticks IBM have provided steps to deal with | | | | risks associated with data-loading and managing auto |
| the problem but the fixes are not easy or | | | | runs. It's also worth checking to see what procedures |
| straightforward and include recommendations to | | | | they have in place to check for spurious files before |
| reinstall the core operating system on any PC that | | | | they supply the flash drive to their customers. |
| become infected. | | | | The circumstances IBM have found themselves in are |
| Obviously this the wrong sort of PR for IBM and its not | | | | unfortunate but some basic checks before the flash |
| pleasant for anyone affected but should it put you off | | | | drives were distributed could have avoided the issues |
| using flash drives as a promotional tool or accepting a | | | | altogether. Whilst these issues will make some |
| flash drive from any company giving? The short | | | | companies and individuals think twice about using or |
| answer is no. Flash drives make excellent promotional | | | | accepting promotional memory sticks it would be |
| products and tens of millions of them are purchased | | | | wrong to write-off one of the most popular |
| and distributed at trade shows, seminars, conferences | | | | promotional products in the market today because of |
| and fairs every year. They are incredibly useful, | | | | one or two avoidable incidents. |