I recently lent my USB drive to a guy I don't really know at the library. He asked to borrow it while I wasn't using it, and I said yes. He returned it the next day, but I noticed he deleted everything off it before giving it back. This got me worried about possible modifications he could have made. I've been reading about potential risks like BadUSB attacks and other forms of hardware tampering, which makes me anxious since I'm not very tech-savvy. My questions are:
1. Should I genuinely be worried about my USB drive being maliciously modified? How common are these kinds of risks?
2. If it is possible that something was tampered with, what steps can I take to check if everything is okay?
5 Answers
Yeah, it’s technically possible for someone to modify a USB drive, but honestly, it's not something most people would do. If he deleted the data before returning it, that could just show he respects your property. If you’re super paranoid, it might be easier to just buy a new one rather than stress over it.
Honestly, I'd recommend being cautious about lending out USB drives in general. They're a bigger risk than items like pens. It’s a good lesson learned, just keep this in mind for the future—better safe than sorry!
Reformatting is a good first step to ensure everything is clean. If you've already reformatted it, you can run a virus scan on both the USB drive and your computer to look for any lingering threats. Just be cautious next time you lend out your USB!
While the chances of modification are low, there's a slim possibility of someone having malicious intent. For example, a known way to mess with USB drives is to load them with harmful software, but that would require specific knowledge. In your case, I doubt he did anything serious unless he was intentionally targeting you, which seems unlikely. Just be careful and keep an eye on your devices.
Right? I think the whole scenario sounds a bit over the top. It's important to be aware, but I wouldn't stress too much unless you notice actual problems.
It is indeed a risk, but think about it—are you really a target? Most people wouldn't bother messing with a USB unless you have something they really want. If you're just an average student, it’s likely not worth their time to tamper with it. Just make sure to keep your files backed up in the future!
That’s what I was thinking! But I'm still nervous about whether anything harmful could've already spread before I reformatted. Scanning the USB and my whole PC should cover it, right?