Infected Right Out Of The Box
Most users are aware enough of the various computer security risks that they at least install some sort of firewall and antivirus software to protect their systems. But, when you purchase a brand new hard drive from a retailer, it probably does not occur to you that you should scan it for malware before you use it. Well, apparently you should. It has been found that some of the Maxtor 3200 external hard drives available from Seagate are infected with malware. Typically, when a user buys a new hard drive, they would format it and install software on it before using it. But, with an external USB drive such as the Maxtor 3200, users are much more likely to just plug and play and potentially infect their system. There are a couple of potential solutions. First, if you have updated antivirus software running already, it should scan and detect the malware on the external drive once you attach it. The second solution is to be sure to format the drive before using it, even if it seems like you don’t need to.