Reducing the Cybersecurity Risks of USB Portable Storage Media in OT Environments

Portable storage media can be used to transfer data physically to and from OT environments. USB storage devices are convenient, but their use poses potential cybersecurity risks for organizations that utilize them in OT environments. These risks can be reduced through secure physical and logical controls on the access, storage, and usage of USB devices.

The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence within NIST (U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology) has developed a draft two-pager, NIST Special Publication (SP) 1334, Reducing the Cybersecurity Risks of Portable Storage Media in OT Environments. The cybersecurity considerations outlined in this document are intended to help operational technology (OT) operators and manufacturers use Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices securely. The comment period for this initial two-page recommendation closes on August 14, 2025.

Find out more about Industrial Cybersecurity Challenges and Solutions.