USB Stick/Memory Card Virus Scan

[business123]

I'm looking to to print off files from customers USB Sticks and Memory Cards shortly. Is there an anti-virus program which will auto-check these when I insert the stick/card into my PC?

 

[Subbynet]

Just open the card, select all, click scan...

Any decent Anti-Virus application will scan "on-access" too.

 

[cmcp]

Just open the card, select all, click scan...

Any decent Anti-Virus application will scan "on-access" too.

If an external drive has a virus doesn't opening it instantly open yourself up to infection even if you don't open the files?

I'd have thought inserting the device, and selecting the drive for scan without opening would be safer?

 

[business123]

Just open the card, select all, click scan...

Any decent Anti-Virus application will scan "on-access" too.

I'm using MacAfee, I can manually scan the USB Stick but there doesn't appear to be an automatic option.

 

[Subbynet]

If an external drive has a virus doesn't opening it instantly open yourself up to infection even if you don't open the files?

I'm not fully sure what you mean. Just plugging in a drive/card will not directly infect you.

There is an issue with "Auto-runs", this is where a small script on the disk/card tells Windows to automatically open a file, but if your AV supports "On-Access" scanning, it will be scanned before its actually opened.

I'd have thought inserting the device, and selecting the drive for scan without opening would be safer?

Sorry, I think my usage of the word "open" has caused a problem here (Kind of meant open it in My Computer!), I mean Insert.

 

[Subbynet]

I'm using MacAfee, I can manually scan the USB Stick but there doesn't appear to be an automatic option.

McAfee supports On-Access scanning, so it automatically scans before you open the file.

 

[cmcp]

Sorry, I think my usage of the word "open" has caused a problem here (Kind of meant open it in My Computer!), I mean Insert.

Yeah that's what confused me. My point was that you can be infected by opening up a drive and that it would be safer to just insert.

 

[Subbynet]

Yeah that's what confused me. My point was that you can be infected by opening up a drive and that it would be safer to just insert.

Well sort-of, you can't really by "opening the drive" as such, you must open the files contained on the drive, and its this which can lead to infection, but this problem is made worst by the "Auto-run" feature of Windows - which ultimately leads to the problem you describe.

Any virus contained on the card which could be automatically ran (with regards to the OP) would be a deliberate action of the customer.

Thankfully, decent Anti-Virus software like NOD32, Kaspersky etc...Will check the file before the Auto-run kicks in.