What do you do with an accidentally found usb drive ?

What do we do when we find an USB accidentally ?

Plug-in to the laptop / PC's and check.

Not anymore. As it can be Bad USB.

What is a bad USB?

BadUSB is an attack that exploits an inherent vulnerability in USB firmware. Such an attack reprograms a USB device, causing it to act as a human interface device; once re-engineered, the USB device is used to discreetly execute commands or run malicious programs on the victim's computer.

How does a Bad USB Attack/USB Drop Attack Work?

A USB drop attack occurs when an attacker strategically places a USB device somewhere, potentially containing malicious code, with the intention of someone taking it and plugging it into a computer. This type of attack employs the use of social engineering.

A USB is able to connect to many different devices, including cameras, keyboards, modems, webcams, wireless networking devices, and others. Unfortunately, the way the USB is designed has yielded this BadUSB security flaw.

The USB microcontroller chip that contains the firmware is used to identify the type of device that's connected and its capabilities. Once the firmware is compromised, it's just a matter of time until the hacker reverse engineers the USB device to insert the malicious code within the workstation. This exposes the organization to a whole range of security attacks, such as logic bombs, data theft, ransomware, and more.

How to Prevent Data Theft via Bad USB?

Block files with highly sensitive data from being copied or moved to external storage devices.

Keep your anti-malware updated. It will not scan the firmware but it should detect if the BadUSB tries to install or run malware.

Make sure you use strong passwords for your user account on your computer and never leave it unlocked or unattended.

For More Details Read this Researcher's Reports: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/07/this-thumbdrive-hacks-computers-badusb-exploit-makes-devices-turn-evil/