Thread: Protect your USB drive from viruses

The first thing to do when you plug in your USB drive into a public computer is to identify and disable malicious processes running on the host computer. A great utility for doing thing is Process Explorer. Process Explorer is a free alternative to Windows Task Manager. Process Explorer can halt or disable undesirable processes. The most useful little feature in Process Explorer is, if there is a process that restarts when you stop it, you can suspend in and leave it hanging while you continue with your work.

Some experience with the process manager is required before you can identify the harmful or irregular processes right away.Lists all the harmful processes, and has a listing of the most common threats. If there is a process you are suspicious about, this is the place to identify it. Process Library also has lists of legitimate processes, so you know at any point of time everything that is going on in your computer.

If you want to use more active measures, Clamwin is a free anti virus software that is also portable. As with all anti virus software, the anti virus definitions have to be updated reguiarly. This can be done when you run the anti-virus from the cybercafe itself. The first time you update the definitions, the process is going to be quite lengthy, as the installer of the anti-virus does not come with definitions. The'updates are much faster after the first run.

Scanning for viruses, worms and Trojans takes some time. Not only can you prevent viruses from infecting your USB drive, you can also scan and fix the host computer from an installation in your drive.

These software should help you stay secure in most situations, and all of them are in the accompanying DVD. However, attackers are likely to target the,humans as much as the computers. Don't give away banking details to anonymous people, no matter who left you property in their wills, or which lottery you won. Don't follow links to banking sites through e-mails, as they may be dummy sites that are made to look like the official sites. Use the URL of the official sites that you trust, and have used before.