Are External USB Drives a Target for Espionage?

7/26/2009 | poiuqwer

[FreeManWhoCan]

IMHO I don’t think that a Chinese guy in Shanghai is looking for the files of some guy on Free Republic.

[Jet Jaguar]

I do not know about the other services. But, I can attest the USAF no longer allows the use of thumb drives or camera flash drives into networked computers.

[discostu]

And what would the Chinese do with that? I’ll tell you: not a damn thing. That’s always the problem with paranoia, when push comes to shove you’re not worth the effort you think they’re putting in to steal your stuff.

[poiuqwer]

And what would the Chinese do with that? I’ll tell you: not a damn thing. That’s always the problem with paranoia, when push comes to shove you’re not worth the effort you think they’re putting in to steal your stuff.

Ah, you are just in your own little world, aren't you?. It's not about me or you, or my data, or yours. It's about China vs. America. Haven't you been paying attention to the last few decades? These people just bought an aircraft carrier. Taiwan? Firewalls? Tiananmen Square? Little Red Book?

If you are planning on going to war some day, every advantage is painstakingly accumulated; like supporting socialists for US presidents and enticing a superpower to move its manufacturing base over to them. It's straight from Sun Tsu -- another Chinese. I can see all sorts of ways having a cross-referenced history of a small set of data on common citizens can give a military advantage in war, and I'm probably just scratching the surface. The Chinese have been using information on their citizens against their own people for years. Do you argue that they don't know how to use information on us against us; just because you haven't spent anytime thinking about it?

[Tainan]

Some "theoretical" answers to your questions:
#1 - It is a possible explanation of what has occurred.
#1a - Most likely ...no. See next answer for why.
#2 - The PRC/PLA does have a veritable "army" of computer techs working on all manners of intel intercept on hardware and via the internet. However a much more likely scenario is that your HD will be shipped to a company there in the USA where it will be tossed on a pile of hundreds of other "failed" HDs for eventual inspection and 're-manufacture.' These 're-manufactured' HDs are then sold in lots and made available on the market at a discount or in 2nd/3rd world countries at a much reduced price.
Its during the 're-manufacturing' process that the interspt of any 'sensitive' or interesting data would/could be found and 'mined.' Data Mining is a very hot business. If something of interest is found - thats where it gets tricky. Who would it be of interest to? Why would they want it? What could the finders sell/trade this intel for?
See the pattern here?
Maybe it would be something of interest to other crminal groups...Russian mafiya...Colombian rebels...Al Quieda terrs...Can money be gained through the use/sale/ or application of any data mined from this HD?
This is the motivation for data theft most of the time. Political motive tend to rank lower than monetary motivation.
#3 - Could be. Built in product obsolescence is not unheard of. That's a consideration. Make every 350th unit go bye-bye after a certain date. Its possible.
The poster with the USB key idea is on to something.
As is your taking the thing apart and seeing if the HD itself is damaged. Some good suggestions by the aficionados on FR.

By the way, its most likely your HD will get re-cycled by a company there in the USA rather than being sent to the PRC. Computer and parts recycling is a medium sized business and very competitive. The 3rd world wants technology they can afford.

[poiuqwer]

That's the best response I've gotten yet. I have taken apart four broken USB drives now, and swapped them into working boxes, and all drives work. By the time they break, the newer models are are bigger and better. So I just crypto-wipe them and stuff 'em in a cabinet.

I also have a disk array of, originally 750 GB Seagate Barracudas that had 5 year warranties. They were a couple hundred dollars when I bought them. That adds up. With the warranty, I just return them. So far, I've returned three drives. They do not have any useful information on them as individuals. But when two drives failed recently (a fan web out and some overheated), I began to think. Two drives constitute a recoverable strip. These are bad disks -- not USB ports. I'm just projecting the thought process on the USB drives. But what about internal drives on an array?

[discostu]

They bought that aircraft carrier a long time ago. And there’s nothing on my harddrive or yours that will help them actually do anything with it.

Having a bunch of porn and MP3s filched off our drives isn’t going to help them any. As others have pointed out, if they REALLY wanted our computer info they’ve got much much easier ways to get it than hoping the “right” people buy the “right” external drive and do the “right” things with it after it breaks in the “planned” way.

[Zhang Fei]

I suspect their efforts are a little more targeted. Poking into your stuff for defense-related information would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. If they start messing around with identity theft on a large scale - the only way to do this profitably, given that most of the data are junk - investigators stateside will eventually figure out which storage manufacturer is responsible after questioning the victims. I don’t think any Chinese hardware manufacturer is going to let itself be roped into this kind of scheme - the consequence of discovery would be the liquidation of a business that requires quite a bit of investment capital. The plant owner who did the lead paint thing for Tyco committed suicide not to take responsibility - he did it because his business was toast, and he couldn’t take the shame of starting from scratch as just another employee instead being the big boss.

[Squantos]

Have ya tried the HD recovery tools available commercially and on the net ?

That aside fabricate a pinky and the brain scenario of dominating the world, encrypt it with best Diffie Hellman Merkel key effort ya have , add goobermint cover sheets and send it in for repair. If your have Chinese girls flirting with ya in a week or less ......yer answer is yes !

[dglang]

It could be extremely profitable for them. If it was the interface that went bad and not the hard drive, they can simply wipe the hard drive and install it in another usb device and sell it as new after checking to see if they could use any data on it themselves.

They avoid most of the costof a new USB hard drive by reusing the hard drive from a previously failed device.

[hiredhand]

Have ya tried the HD recovery tools available commercially and on the net ?

That aside fabricate a pinky and the brain scenario of dominating the world, encrypt it with best Diffie Hellman Merkel key effort ya have , add goobermint cover sheets and send it in for repair. If your have Chinese girls flirting with ya in a week or less ......yer answer is yes !

You know what sort of "condition" my data is in. But if I'm ever lonely maybe I'll try it and get a visit from the pretty Chinese girls. :-)

[Squantos]

Them chicom chickies show up to see you SP is going to war.....:o)

LOL !

[ichabod1]

eSATA(n) is the way to go.

[ichabod1]

VA does not allow flash drives either. Not just because of what can go out on them, but what can come IN on them as well.

[Fred Hayek]

My refinery client cites spyware and viruses found on some USB drives right out of the box. So this goes beyond an employee bringing in his own USB thumb drive from home and infecting his work computer (and the network) with whatever may have been on his home computer.

[DuncanWaring]

You might also just try plugging the drive into a different computer.

A few months ago, one of my thumb/flash drives apparently died manifesting similar symptoms. An internet search of the error message led me to suspect a registry problem.

I plugged it into a different computer; it was recognized, and I copied the data off it and onto a new drive.

[mad_as_he$$]

One of my companies does unique network management work for secure information. NONE of our clients allow USB drives in their facilities. It is an immediate termination offense at almost all of them..

[Malsua]

BIG FAT MAGNET and bulk erase the drive before returning it

Can't be done unless you work at a scrap yard and attach it to a magnetic car hoist.

[Mad Dawgg]

"One of my companies does unique network management work for secure information. NONE of our clients allow USB drives in their facilities. It is an immediate termination offense at almost all of them.."

The only time I got a virus on any computer in the last four years was due to my Daughter bringing home a thumbdrive from school and using it without scanning it first.

She's recovering nicely BTW ;)

[mad_as_he$$]

lol...I understand.