Home > Articles > Cisco Network Technology > General Networking > The Evolution of Evil: Changes in the Use of USB Devices as Delivery Mechanisms for Malicious Code

The Evolution of Evil: Changes in the Use of USB Devices as Delivery Mechanisms for Malicious Code

  • Date: Oct 7, 2010.

Contents

  1. In the Beginning: Attacks were Without Form
  2. Patterns Begin to Form
  3. Evil Has a New Face
  4. Redemption: Saved from Evil
  5. What the Future Holds: Purgatory??

Article Description

The use of USB devices as a delivery mechanism for malicious code has grown significantly over the years, and a new evolution of USB attacks is now emerging. Microcontrollers and carefully crafted code are replacing simple USB flash drives. USB microcontrollers are small, capable of circumventing most malware detection software, and can deliver devastating payloads. Brad Bowers takes a closer look at this new attack vector and reveals some of the challenges IT security professionals face as the use of microcontrollers as an attack platform matures.

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What the Future Holds: Purgatory??

What the Future Holds: Purgatory??

So what does the future hold? The use of microcontrollers and devices like the Teensy represents the next evolution in the race between IT security and the tools that attempt to circumvent it. It seems clear that the use of microcontrollers such as the Teensy as attack platforms is just in its infancy, and we will see significant growth and changes in this area in the coming years.

I read once that "In order to defend against a threat, we must first understand it." This next evolution of USB-based attacks will challenge IT security professionals to better understand the inner workings of USB attacks and develop crafty solutions for mitigating the threats.

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