Eight agencies plugged in and activated the USBs we left lying around
USBs we left lying around at eight agencies were plugged into agency networks and activated. The
USBs then ‘phoned home’. While our USBs did not pose a threat to the agency networks, the exercise
clearly demonstrated how this type of attack can provide unauthorised access to an agency network.
Significantly, it is also extremely difficult to detect once it has been established.
Eight of the 15 agencies had their network compromised by USBs that we left at agencies to test their
security practices. The USBs were found by agency staff and subsequently connected to their agency’s
networks. This exercise proved how easily existing security mechanisms can be undermined if staff are
not properly trained. It is also a highly dangerous form of attack because it allows a perpetrator to gain
direct access into the agency’s network, thereby providing control over information resources from the
Internet without detection.