Hackers, Troops Rejoice: Pentagon Lifts Thumb-Drive Ban

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The Pentagon has lifted the ban on removable media. So, what do you think? Smart move or asking for trouble?

The repeal, first reported by InsideDefense.com, may be good news for troops, who depend on the drives to move data in bandwidth-starved locations. But it may be good news for hackers, too. The original network security concerns which prompted the ban haven’t really been addressed, one Strategic Command cyber defense specialist tells Danger Room: “Not much changed. StratCom simply does not have the support to enforce such a ban indefinitely.”
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its always asking for trouble with this kind of stuff, but we really need them to help with productivity, ive been struggling with burnt dvds for a while now, hopefully the idiots who download illegal stuff keep it out of their work stuff!!
 
It was a big joke anyway. I did photo job this summer for VA and no Thumb Drives. But I could use my memory cards and reader.

Dugh

Same thing. Like how could I get the picture to the network without using memory card?

Amazing thing is we did all this on MAC's with Illegal Software Installed. Demo Version of CS4. But oh no we could not use Thumb Drives.

Plus tons of training. Login ID never used. So what did our Govt do? Flew in Photographers and spent 80k instead of using Local Talent for FREE. So pissed off the Local Camera Club with BS of not being allowed to keep the images. None of this was true. Besides it was Public Event at Public Place.

But hey I got Free TShirt.
http://www1.va.gov/opa/speceven/wcg/Default.asp

DM
 
Would've been asking for trouble, but the security implementation is a joke anyway. So there's really no loss.
 
Rosters, lots and lots of rosters. Spreadsheets, powerpoints, and anything else to bore each and every service member to death. Thumbdrives don't win wars but they do put us to sleep during all the classes they make us take.
 
I for one welcome the return of our Powerpoint Jedi Master overlords. Sigh....
 
Finally! No more burning shit to a cd just to get work done.
 
If you're an officer, you probably have access to an official government stamped Dell. If you're an NCO, you probably carry around a thumb drive of rosters, pro/con sheets and "how to recognize an IED" and "how to avoid getting AIDS in Thailand" presentations.
 
When someone brings in an infected thumb drive from home, don't be surprised to see the rule take effect again.
 
kevinpet said:
If you're an officer, you probably have access to an official government stamped Dell. If you're an NCO, you probably carry around a thumb drive of rosters, pro/con sheets and "how to recognize an IED" and "how to avoid getting AIDS in Thailand" presentations.
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And if you are a Staff NCO you don't have either and rely on the other two for their stuff :)
 
lol how to recognize an ied. Spend a good 72hrs of instruction time minimum on that stuff only for the end result to be that basically you wont be able to spot one, good times.

And I'm pretty sure the thumb drive ban was a ban on all removable storage devices. But anyways good stuff makes life easier.
 
DemonDiablo said:
lol how to recognize an ied. Spend a good 72hrs of instruction time minimum on that stuff only for the end result to be that basically you wont be able to spot one, good times.

And I'm pretty sure the thumb drive ban was a ban on all removable storage devices. But anyways good stuff makes life easier.
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The ban was for flash drive, external hdd's are still authorized.
 
As a Communications Section Chief for a Battalion sized element, my first reaction was to call my commander to warn him of this potential danger. Than I sighed deeply as he confirmed "We will not be using thumb drives". There are just too many ppl in the military with access to the governments network that dont understand the implications of allowing USB Mass Storage devices.

Until there is a semi full proof way to keep only goverment issued drives in governement issues computers that only go on government networks, there are too many bots, bugs, virues, trojans and other nasty things on peoples personally computers to allow them to use USB drives. And dont get me started on ppl using government computers to store, access and transfer music and recharge their IPods. Users are retards.
 
BravO))) said:
The ban was for flash drive, external hdd's are still authorized.
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For DoD computers, it was a total ban on any device that would be recognized as a mass storage device via USB port. Not just flash or external HDDs. This was built into the image, or I should say the lack of drivers where excluded from the image.
 
DemonDiablo said:
lol how to recognize an ied. Spend a good 72hrs of instruction time minimum on that stuff only for the end result to be that basically you wont be able to spot one, good times.

And I'm pretty sure the thumb drive ban was a ban on all removable storage devices. But anyways good stuff makes life easier.
Click to expand...

I died laughing during the "the dead cat is the IED" part of it haha
 
This is AWESOME for us folks in comm :D

But there are some NCO and SNCO's that don't need to know about this :D and that goes for some of the O's to.

I got some real dumb asses here :D
 
sweet, now I can charge my iPhone :rolleyes: that I cant use inside the building, and barely use in the center courtyard
 
J-Will said:
sweet, now I can charge my iPhone :rolleyes: that I cant use inside the building, and barely use in the center courtyard
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LOL

I tell everyone they can't put anything apple on the network as it is not authorized :D

Even to charge via USB. :D

I'm such an ass :eek:
 
I'm an IT for the navy, big thing NMCI network put out in a teleconference is that there is waivers for people that want to use thimb drives, plus they go to your place of work and inspect the thumb drive before you're allowed to use it. Funny; yes they will lift the ban on thumb drives, but they have to make sure you're not an idiot first.
 
im an assistant computer tech rep for my command, and myself and my officer have the naysay on how this is going to go down. Beleive me it won't it's just asking for trouble. I can't wait for the first guy to come in asking for it. It's going to be a kodak moment.
 
You can only use the encrypted thumb drives, and more than likely they will be linked to your CAC
 
if someone is going to do something bad, not having access to a USB drive isn't going to stop them.

this is likely the logic behind lifting the BAN, and it is solid logic.
 
Tools currently exist that allow you to managed external devices.
Within the last year managing this has been made extremely simple.
 
J-Will said:
You can only use the encrypted thumb drives, and more than likely they will be linked to your CAC
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We are using the issued GREEN thumb drives that are authorized only for the workplace, once used for home you can't use it. Only a few people in the squadron who need this gets this and you have to request it, it took me almost an entire day to get one. My co-workers hate me because they can't use their home-use one, especially their MP3 player, you'd be amazed at how many times I got asked today to use mine so they could store an email on it and take it home...
 
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