Panda Security, leading IT security provider, offers users Panda Cloud Cleaner, a free security solution designed to block malware which spreads through removable drives such as pen drives, CD/DVDs, MP3 players, etc. This free tool can be downloaded from https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/homeusers/cloud-cleaner/

There is an increasing amount of malware which, like the dangerous Conficker worm, spread via removable devices and drives such as memory sticks, MP3 players, digital cameras, etc. The basic technique used is as follows: Windows uses the Autorun.inf file on these drives or devices to know which action to take when they are connected to the computer. This file, which is on the root directory of the device, offers the option to define a program to automatically run part of the content stored on the device when it connects to the computer. This feature is being used by cyber-crooks to spread viruses, through the modification of Autorun.inf with commands so that malware stored on the USB drive, for example, is run automatically when the device connects to a computer. This will immediately infect the computer in question.

To prevent this, Panda Security, through its Panda Research division, has developed Panda USB Vaccine, a free product which offers a double layer of preventive protection, allowing users to disable the AutoRun feature on computers as well as on USB drives and other devices.

“This is a very useful tool as there is no easy way of disabling the AutoRun feature in Windows. This tool makes it simple for users, offering a high level of security against infections through removable drives and devices”, explains Pedro Bustamante, Senior Research Advisor at Panda Security.

For more information and to download the free tool, go to https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/homeusers/free-antivirus/