Ransomware Attack on Family Planning NSW: A Case Study

USB Devices
Introduction
Universal Service Bus or often called as USB are not necessarily a device but they are a standard created
for those serial connectors or cables that used for communication between Computer Stations and
Other Peripheral Devices. USB refers to any device that used in storing the data over a flash memory
with the integration of the USB interfacing. It is Sometimes called as USB Stick, USB Key or any other
names. It is popular due to its small size and less weight. USB connections are denoted by certain
connectors that need to be connected via certain ports in order to establish a reliable transfer. They are
the standard that are used in order to connect the peripheral with the computer.
The devices that could be connected to the computer with the help of USB ports are Printers, Cell
Phones, Keyboards, Mouse, Webcams, Scanner and Hard Drives. There are three generation of USB
devices:
USB 1.x,
USB 2.0,
USB 3.x. USB Standards were released in 1996 and is maintained by USB Implementers Forum.
USB Devices Characteristics:
1. One can connect at most 127 peripherals all together to a single USB controller
2. The USB devices will automatically go into Sleep mode if the attached device like PC, Laptop or
Cell Phone goes runs out of power of goes into power-saving mode
3. Individual length of the USB device can be at most 5 Meters when they are not connected in a
HUB otherwise it is 40 meters
4. USB is a Plug and Play
5. USB devices need very less power to run and they get this power by the connected devices
Speed of USB Devices:
They have 3 different types of speed:
1. Highest Speed: 480 Mbps
2. Medium Speed: 12 Mbps
3. Lowest Speed: 1.5 Mbps
Risks Associated with the USB Devices:
1. Most of the Malware is spread through the USB Devices. This malware is hard to detect as they
attack the smaller circuits and could not be detected easily
2. As the USB devices are often small the chances are higher of losing it
3. Giving or attaching the USB device to other PC might bring out the viruses and Trojan from that
PC and when it is attached to the different System it might bring attack that system