To realize how convenient the USB port is, we need to go back to the old ways.  Printers were connected to printer ports, and there was usually only one of these.  This is also the same spot that you would need to plug your Zip drive into, or any gadget that required high-speed.  Modems and many other devices plugged into the serial port.  If you were lucky, you had two.  If you only had one, chances are you needed it for the modem.  Devices needing faster speed came with their own card.  These had to go into a card slot inside the computer case.  The number of card slots was limited, so you had to pick and choose your devices wisely.  We won’t even talk about having to install the software for the cards.  The USB came in to help stop these headaches and seemingly grueling activities.   You can now connect up to approximately 127 devices to your computer with one simple, standardized method, making customised USB devices extremely popular.

When you plug a customised USB device into a USB port, the computer operating system searches for the device in its drivers.  If the driver is not found, the appropriate one must be installed.  The computer will be able to recognize the device the next time that it is hooked to the computer.  When the device is recognized and loaded to the correct driver, data is transferred between the computer and the devices at a very high rate of speed.  Files can be transferred to and from hard drives, USB flash drives and other storage devices.

USB has been a great time and sanity saver for any computer user.  People seem to be more on the go these days, and the quicker ways of the USB make it possible to travel, and to be a lot more mobile with your operating systems, programs and information.

Not only can you run many more devices with USB ports, you save a lot of space on your computer as well.  There is also not as much wear and tear on your hard drive. Not everything has to be stored and formatted like the old days, and customised USB devices are adding an extra dimension of fun to data storage with numerous fantastic designs available.

As you sit and use your separate keyboard, scanner, printer and more with your portable laptop, you have your USB set up to thank.   The world of computers is much more convenient due to the production and function of the USB port.

Because customised USB flash drives are so popular, they are a great target for attackers to spread infections.  Flash drives are frequently used to move data between multiple systems. Due to this, viruses can be spread quickly.  Viruses can become so bad that many work places have banned the use of flash drives.  Some places of employment have placed silent applications that can detect when a flash drive is in use. Although this helps, by the time someone is notified, a virus could already be spread. Although this can be very problematic, viruses can’t get everyone trying to use a customised USB flash drive.

Many people think that because their customised USB flash drive is encrypted that they are safe.  Encryption only protects against loss or theft.  Digital photo kiosks are often not thought of as a threat, but these are one of the main distribution points for infections.  Think about it, you could go to a popular store, infect the photo kiosk, and sit back as the virus spreads to thousands of people walking in with their memory cards.  Many people will save pictures on a flash drive as well and this may be after they have been to a kiosk.

There are many places on the internet that provide USB antivirus programs.  Most of these programs provide great protection against programs trying to attack through your USB drive.  When any USB device is inserted into your computer, the antivirus program will automatically scan.  It will then block and delete USB viruses, Trojans and malicious code.  These programs can help to permanently protect your computer against USB worms.  These programs will not slow down your computer, and are compatible with other virus programs.

There are other precautions you can take to ensure protection against viruses.  Make sure to use security features such as, passwords and encryption.  It is wise to keep personal and business USB drives separate.  If using security and virus software, make sure that it is up to date.  Do not plug an unknown USB drive into your computer.

Nothing will protect you 100% from USB viruses, but it is worthwhile to educate yourself on all of the software and precautions you can use to help protect yourself and others.  Keep up to date on the software you use, and try to understand any current viruses and how they could affect you.

Spreading viruses through USB drives can be a very large problem.  It is a very easy way for people who are up to no good to do a lot of damage, and in a very short amount of time.  It takes the work out of spreading viruses through traditional means. So we need to become more aware of our USB drives and devices.  We are in a world of viruses that are not limited to our computers.