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Flash Drives

jdblundell
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jdblundell

jdblundell

Posted
Posted

Just saw this post from Atariboy across the pond.

He's thinking of sending out flash/thumb drives to friends with his favorite music, videos, pdfs, etc. Then his friends will add theres and they'll just keep collecting cool files and such as they move from person to person.

I thought about doing something similar with flash drives and caches awhile back.

Would anyone be interested? What if they were trackable by a number either on the flash drive itself or in a text file on the drive and everyone could add to it as it goes along.

Eventually they could come back to the original owner or shared online somehow.

Thoughts/ideas?

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Jhwk

+Jhwk

Posted
Posted

wonder how many folks would actually plug that thing into their computer.

wonder how long it would last before it 'disappeared'.

wonder how many 'rules' would be broken with the whole 'pass along good files, etc...' thing

 

I just wonder. If I found a sealed one in a cache, I would be tempted to trade up for it. Not sure about just a bare memory stick sitting there though.

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sTeamTraen

+sTeamTraen

Posted
Posted

We recently found a flash drive TB, and it wanted cachers to add files to it. We did not know the TB's owner, and were afraid to use it for fear of downloading a virus.

 

Right now USB sticks are the main way that worms etc come onto our site's computers (I run a 1800-PC network). In the last 2-3 months they have superseded Web site drive-bys in this. The main virus/worm/malware vector seems to change every 6 months or so. Not so long ago it was Web-based mail.

 

OTOH most modern viruses are fairly harmless in terms of trashing your PC. Hard disk failure still destroys many, many times more data than viruses. So it's kind of like worrying if you get enough vegetables when you smoke 40 cigarettes a day. :rolleyes:

 

You can also protect yourself against USB stick viruses in a few seconds if you tell Windows never to auto-run the contents of a drive. Unfortunately, I don't know how to do this without tweaking the registry (that's how we do it at my work).

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NightPilot

+NightPilot

Posted
Posted
You can also protect yourself against USB stick viruses in a few seconds if you tell Windows never to auto-run the contents of a drive. Unfortunately, I don't know how to do this without tweaking the registry (that's how we do it at my work).

Open My Computer, select the drive, (you'll need a drive connected to do this) select Properties, and then the Autoplay tab. Select Do Nothing, Apply, OK, and you're done.

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T F T C

+T F T C

Posted
Posted

Macs can get Windows viruses if they're running Windows via Parallels or Boot Camp, or surfing the internet in Windows with Explorer, etc.

 

It's an awesome idea in theory, but so many people are computer unsavvy that they will unknowingly infect the drives. I also wouldn't bet on unsavvy people not picking them up. All it takes is one.

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Ambrosia

+Ambrosia

Posted
Posted

We recently found a flash drive TB, and it wanted cachers to add files to it. We did not know the TB's owner, and were afraid to use it for fear of downloading a virus.

We've found a TB like that as well. I just don't understand it myself, because you could upload all the same pictures to the TB's page. Not sure what the point is.

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nonaeroterraqueous

nonaeroterraqueous

Posted
Posted

Awesome idea, what about a flash drive travel bug that returns to you. Have people load pics of themselves on it.

 

Oh, they'll load pics of themselves alright. Most will be nice, but you can be sure a few of them will be...interesting.

 

We've found a TB like that as well. I just don't understand it myself, because you could upload all the same pictures to the TB's page. Not sure what the point is.

 

Oh, there are some pictures that couldn't be loaded to the TB's web page...at least, not without getting reported or removed. The TB might act as an alternative for this type of...ahem...photography.

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briansnat

+briansnat

Posted
Posted

i've got one easy solution to avoid viruses...

 

Get a mac :rolleyes:

 

Yeah, no viruses and but the tradeoff is that you can't get way too many things to work with a Mac.

 

Anyways, I keep my anti-virus up to date and would have no prob using a flash drive I found in a cache.

I would make sure I scanned it first though.

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imajeep

+imajeep

Posted
Posted
i've got one easy solution to avoid viruses...

 

Get a mac :anitongue:

 

Uh-oh--somebody's been drinking the Kool-Aid again! :anitongue:

 

A close buddy of mine is a devout Mac user, and he used to recite the 'no viruses' mantra. Then he got a job as a manager of a network of a couple of hundred Macs. Within a week, he had changed his mantra to "We are all vulnerable! You Windoze users just have bigger backsides to fire at!"

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EScout

+EScout

Posted
Posted

I have several 128MB SD cards that I got for $3 each. I have been thinking about using one or more as travel bugs. Put in your camera, take a photo. One problem is that each brand of camera puts its own folder structure on the card, although I think they can all exist on one card.

 

So, I do not think you can see the other brand camera photos in your camera; you would have to put it into a reader to see them all.

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sTeamTraen

+sTeamTraen

Posted
Posted

Anyways, I keep my anti-virus up to date and would have no prob using a flash drive I found in a cache.

I would make sure I scanned it first though.

 

Problem is that autorun will already have installed the virus as soon as you insert it. So you'll have the virus for a while until your a-v software picks it up (they're usually a few days behind the virus "market"). Again, though, most viruses are harmless, so don't take any time away from your regular hard disk backups to worry about this.

 

You can also protect yourself against USB stick viruses in a few seconds if you tell Windows never to auto-run the contents of a drive. Unfortunately, I don't know how to do this without tweaking the registry (that's how we do it at my work).

Open My Computer, select the drive, (you'll need a drive connected to do this) select Properties, and then the Autoplay tab. Select Do Nothing, Apply, OK, and you're done.

 

That covers some of the bases. However, you do this and then take your memory stick which you've already used and lend it to a friend and they put a virus on it, you will still get it, because extra autorun info for each different drive is "conveniently" stored for you in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2\{GUID-mumble}. So you also need to clean that key out, or reformat all your previously-used sticks. Isn't progress great? :anitongue:

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lewis82

lewis82

Posted
Posted

Jeez... Seems havin' a mac is like having plague :blink:

 

I'm reminded of this page...

 

I could easily remind of anti-pc pages like this, though I wouldn't post them on a Geocaching forum.

 

The thing I was meaning is that Macusers don't care if a stick is infected or not. As I know

there is officially only one mac virus ( Trojan, sorry) and it didn't even work. My goal wasn't to insult PC users -which I respect even if I use macs- and if you feel insulted then it's your problem, not mine.

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dkwolf

+dkwolf

Posted
Posted (edited)

Jeez... Seems havin' a mac is like having plague :D

 

I'm reminded of this page...

 

I could easily remind of anti-pc pages like this, though I wouldn't post them on a Geocaching forum.

 

The thing I was meaning is that Macusers don't care if a stick is infected or not. As I know

there is officially only one mac virus ( Trojan, sorry) and it didn't even work. My goal wasn't to insult PC users -which I respect even if I use macs- and if you feel insulted then it's your problem, not mine.

I seem to recall reading something the other day that the recent mac os's have an even worse swiss-cheese security system than windows. But why waste the time exploiting it when you're going to affect 37 people and Ms. Johnson's 5th grade english class?

 

Back on topic: I would never put an unknown flash drive in my computer. Yeah, it'd probably be okay, but there is a risk. And even if there is no malicious code, who's to say you're not about to see some pictures from an anonymous person that no decent human being should ever see? I'll pass, thanks.

Edited by dkwolf
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admo1972

+admo1972

Posted
Posted
I seem to recall reading something the other day that the recent mac os's have an even worse swiss-cheese security system than windows.

 

Completely not true. I'd like to see where you read that, if it is credible at all. Security through obscurity is certainly a part of why the Mac OS is less vulnerable to viruses. But the OS itself is indeed more robust against malicious software than Mr. Gate's OS. If Macs make up 5% of the market, then you would think that, all things being equal, they would have 5% of the viruses. Truth is, it is much much less than that.

 

I'm not sure how Vista stacks up, though. I would assume it's more secure than XP. Probably just copied which ports are left open and which are left closed from the mac side.

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StarBrand

+StarBrand

Posted
Posted (edited)

Completely not true. I'd like to see where you read that, if it is credible at all. Security through obscurity is certainly a part of why the Mac OS is less vulnerable to viruses. But the OS itself is indeed more robust against malicious software than Mr. Gate's OS. If Macs make up 5% of the market, then you would think that, all things being equal, they would have 5% of the viruses. Truth is, it is much much less than that.

 

 

That is certainly some really bad logic........

 

 

Macs have numerous security concerns as well. So does Linux. The bad guys just tend to create thier vile projects to target the 92% using MS products. If Macs were 92% - then they would be the targets......

 

 

I would use an anonymous USB memory stick - just scan it first.

 

 

Also - be sure not to "share" copyrighted materials if you use such things.

Edited by StarBrand
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admo1972

+admo1972

Posted
Posted

That is certainly some really bad logic........

 

Macs have numerous security concerns as well. So does Linux. The bad guys just tend to create thier vile projects to target the 92% using MS products. If Macs were 92% - then they would be the targets.....

 

*sigh*

 

Lack of viruses on macs aren't for writers lack of trying. There are simply very few routes for hackers to get their warez onto macs. Windows is wide open. Look at XP SP1, something which an insane number of people use even though SP2 is free and more secure. Every port is open and must be closed manually. On the Mac, they are all closed.

 

That's just one example (and a glaring one at that) as to the robustness of the Mac OS. I never said it's immune (every month there seems to be 1 or 2 security updates to close various holes, usually with quicktime or java).

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Sparrowhawk

+Sparrowhawk

Posted
Posted (edited)

Completely not true. I'd like to see where you read that, if it is credible at all. Security through obscurity is certainly a part of why the Mac OS is less vulnerable to viruses. But the OS itself is indeed more robust against malicious software than Mr. Gate's OS. If Macs make up 5% of the market, then you would think that, all things being equal, they would have 5% of the viruses. Truth is, it is much much less than that.

That is certainly some really bad logic........

Macs have numerous security concerns as well. So does Linux. The bad guys just tend to create thier vile projects to target the 92% using MS products. If Macs were 92% - then they would be the targets......

 

That's just like the innaccurate "popularity" argument against Firefox. And the same lack of logic applies.

 

Let's pretend there was one hell of an arson problem out there, in general. That's like saying that the arsonists like to target wooden buildings instead of concrete fireproof buildings ONLY because the wooden tinderbox buildings are more numerous than the fireproof buildings. However if concrete fireproof buildings were 92% of the buildings out there, arsonists would make THOSE the targets, for the only reason being because the concrete buildings are now the more popular type of building - and no other reason.

 

Uhhhhh... riiiiiight.

 

Firefox is built solid, like the concrete fireproof building, and the same thing for Macs.

 

Internet Explorer and Windows in general are like tinderbox buildings, barely protected, waiting for someone with a good firestarter and a bad grudge to come along.

 

If something is built very tough and hard to crack into, how does it simply becoming popular cause it to be just as vulnerable as something else which is built flimsy and insecure in the first place?

 

Virus writers and "script kiddies" like low-hanging fruit. What's easy to pick on is what they are after.

Windows is easy stuff to mess with. Macs and Linux machines are too much effort by comparison.

 

There's a reason why admins who run servers running Linux get a lot more slack time than those in charge of servers running Windows. And the majority of websites you surf run Linux, including Google.

 

Websites running Windows are much more prone towards getting server errors when the site is busy. <looks at nothing in particular, puts hands behind back, starts whistling nonchalantly>

Edited by Sparrowhawk
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StarBrand

+StarBrand

Posted
Posted
.....There's a reason why admins who run servers running Linux get a lot more slack time than those in charge of servers running Windows. And the majority of websites you surf run Linux, including Google.

 

Websites running Windows are much more prone towards getting server errors when the site is busy. <looks at nothing in particular, puts hands behind back, starts whistling nonchalantly>

 

 

Sigh..... Your mileage certainly varies from mine.

 

 

I'd still use a random flash drive.....

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Snoogans

+Snoogans

Posted
Posted
It's a good idea. Some will participate. Some will live in fear and not.

 

 

I don't live in fear. On the same subject, I posted this in the TB forum last year:

 

 

I've found quite a few TBs like the one you propose. If there's room on it, I tend to put a bunch of pictures from my Nude Cacher locationless terracache on them.... :)

 

This one is my favorite:

 

a345ae3e-9d4b-4e4e-8878-3b2bd67fef6d.jpg

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Iwuzere

Iwuzere

Posted
Posted

Why not just put a web address URL in the cache, for a web storage account all the finders could access?

Google for "free storage" to see what I mean - everyone who finds the URL could then trade files that way.

I'd be very wary of using a flash key I'd found.

:)

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Snoogans

+Snoogans

Posted
Posted
Why not just put a web address URL in the cache, for a web storage account all the finders could access?

Google for "free storage" to see what I mean - everyone who finds the URL could then trade files that way.

I'd be very wary of using a flash key I'd found.

:)

 

 

Interesting point. I'm gonna check that out. :)

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Major Catastrophe

Major Catastrophe

Posted
Posted

i've got one easy solution to avoid viruses...

 

Get a mac :rolleyes:

 

Huh. The first computer virus I ever had the pleasure of hosting was on a Mac. That was something like 20 years ago. The virus came on a floppy-disc-based magazine that we subscribed to. Thanks to the ingenious Macintosh operating system, all I had to do was to insert the disc into the drive; the virus infected the HD before I even saw the directory of the floppy.

 

Macs do have fewer viruses than PCs these days. That's because the mutts who write them are using, and understand the innards of, PCs. Also, the virus writers target PCs because that's the largest pool of potential victims. It has little to do with any innate differences between the platforms. If 90% of the world used Macs, the virus writers would make 'em pay.

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jdblundell

jdblundell

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Posted

All very interesting thoughts and comments. I may give it a go and just see what happens. I think its hillarious that people still got into the Mac v PC debate even here.

Anyways, I thought it would be great if everyone added something that symbolized them to the USB drive. Maybe a picture, maybe a poem, maybe a song.

Just let it keep floating around until it's full and then people could drop it in the mail and the results could be posted on the web somewhere.

Or maybe if I was lucky it would come back to a cache near me.

As small as these things are getting now I think you could fit most of them in the micro-cache containers I've seen.

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