The Postal Service is reminding employees and contractors to plug only USPS-approved devices into postal equipment.
Using USB devices that are not approved by the Postal Service puts the USPS network at risk of being hacked.
The organization is also asking employees and contractors to remind others of this policy if they see someone inserting a device into a USB or other port on postal equipment.
Employees and contractors should notify a supervisor after such an interaction.
The organization also prohibits employees and contractors from plugging personal devices into Postal Service computers — at work, at home or while traveling — for charging or for any other reason.
This includes smartphones, thumb drives, hard drives and e-cigarettes.
Plugging in a personal device is prohibited because it results in a “handshake” between the device and the computer, which could result in transferring information or installing malware, allowing hackers access to the USPS network.
Employees and contractors can purchase encrypted and approved USB flash drives through eBuy Plus.
While working remotely, all employees and contractors should use USPS-issued equipment connected to the Postal Service’s virtual private network and only connect allowable peripheral devices.
The CyberSafe at USPS Blue page has more tips, while the LiteBlue page and USPSCyberSafe.com have general cybersecurity information.
