What is a common safe practice regarding removable USB media?

What is a common safe practice regarding removable USB media?

• A. Enable autorun for ease of use
• B. Disable autorun and enforce device-control policies
• C. Plug and play without restrictions
• D. Use only universal serial bus devices

Answer: (B)

Removable USB media pose a malware risk when software can automatically run as soon as the drive is connected. The safest practice is to disable autorun and enforce device-control policies. By turning off autorun, you prevent automatic execution of programs from a USB drive, which is a common infection vector. Enforcing device-control policies adds a formal layer of security that governs which devices are allowed, what actions they can perform, and how data can be accessed—such as whitelisting trusted devices, restricting write or execute permissions, and integrating with endpoint protection. Together, these steps minimize the chance of malware taking hold from unfamiliar drives while still allowing legitimate, authorized use when properly managed. Enabling autorun, letting plug-and-play happen without restrictions, or relying on device type alone do not provide the safeguards needed to prevent unauthorized or harmful activity.

Removable USB media pose a malware risk when software can automatically run as soon as the drive is connected. The safest practice is to disable autorun and enforce device-control policies. By turning off autorun, you prevent automatic execution of programs from a USB drive, which is a common infection vector. Enforcing device-control policies adds a formal layer of security that governs which devices are allowed, what actions they can perform, and how data can be accessed—such as whitelisting trusted devices, restricting write or execute permissions, and integrating with endpoint protection. Together, these steps minimize the chance of malware taking hold from unfamiliar drives while still allowing legitimate, authorized use when properly managed. Enabling autorun, letting plug-and-play happen without restrictions, or relying on device type alone do not provide the safeguards needed to prevent unauthorized or harmful activity.