NCJ Number
222975
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 56 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 49-52
Date Published
April 2008
Length
4 pages
Annotation
After describing the features and functions of computer USB drives as storage devices for digital data, this article discusses agency policies for their use.
Abstract
A USB drive is a flash memory chip connected to a USB connector in a computer, which makes it a portable solid state storage device. USB drives are currently available in sizes up to 32GB of storage. USB drives have become commonplace in the law enforcement work environment. For most officers, the type of files stored on these devices pertain to their daily tasks and duties. USB drives are easily concealed because of their small size, and they can be discarded or lost. A good policy for agencies to adopt regarding the material officers should put on a USB drive is whether if it is lost and then found by a high school student, would it be a problem if he/she exposed the information to a wider audience on the Internet. This means that the USB drive should only be used to store mundane information that is likely available to the public on the agency Web site. The USB drive should not be used to store such material as autopsy photographs, active case files, interrogation video, or sexually explicit evidence. On the other hand, if an agency or individual officer wishes to use a USB drive for sensitive information that requires security measures, user names and passwords can be used to secure and access data stored on some USB drives; and at least one company has created a USB drive that will self-destruct if the authorized user name and password are not entered after a set number of tries. Other security features in USB drives are also available from various companies.