Can a virus be in a memory stick?

  • Thread starter Thread starter yungman
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Memory Virus
Click For Summary
A memory stick can indeed become infected with a virus if files from an infected computer are copied onto it. This includes various file types such as PDFs and images, which can harbor malware. To safely scan the memory stick without risking infection to another computer, it is recommended to disable the 'Autoplay' feature on the clean computer before connecting the USB. Using antivirus software like Norton can help identify and eliminate threats, but caution is advised when transferring files back to a clean system. It's essential to run scans on the memory stick using reliable antivirus programs, and if possible, use a virtual machine for additional safety. Users are encouraged to avoid clicking on suspicious pop-ups or messages that claim a computer is infected, as these are often phishing attempts. Regular backups and cloning of hard drives can provide an extra layer of security against data loss from malware.
  • #61
Let me add one more comment. I work in a place where we have constant virus scanners running on all systems, even those that are not connected to the internet. As far we are concerned, if you touch the internet just once, you are compromised. The only way you can be completely sure you don't have anything on your computer is to NEVER touch the internet, install software from media from the original provider and never load a file from an external source. Right now, that would eliminate pretty much any and all external software, Windows, Office365 etc since it is only loaded from online. Even Matlab would be difficult since you don't get any media any longer.

Kind of limits your productivity doesn't it.
 
  • Like
Likes Tom.G, davenn and russ_watters

Similar threads

My laptop is infected, what should I do?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
What is the NWJS virus and how can I protect my computer from it?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
5K
Watch out for some articles on Yahoo (virus?)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
What Kind of Virus is Infecting my USB and How Can I Clean It?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Software to protect USB flash from viruses
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
Is My Veritech 2GB Flash Memory Corrupted?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
8K
My computer runs very slow on internet and other program
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
38K
Calculators Computer infected by an anti-virus conpany's virus
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
7K
Can bacteria be used as a control agent to fight viral infections?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
HTML/CSS Why my pdf films turn into HTML when transfer?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K