Security firm Panda Security’s anti-malware laboratory PandaLabs has discovered that in 2010, 25 percent of new worms have been specifically designed to spread through USB storage devices connected to computers. These threats can copy themselves to any device capable of storing information such as cell phones, external hard drives, DVDs, flash memories and MP3 players.
The data from Panda’s Second International SMB Security Barometer suggests that this distribution technique is highly effective. With survey responses from more than 10,470 companies across 20 countries, it was revealed that approximately 48 percent of SMBs (small and midsize businesses) with up to 1,000 computers admit to having been infected by some type of malware over the last year. As further proof, 27 percent confirmed that the source of the infection was a USB device connected to a computer.
For more, read the eWeek article Malware, Worms Spreading Through USB Devices, Report Finds.