With iOS 26, Apple adds a USB access prompt that keeps charging but blocks data—shutting down juice-jacking attempts at public ports.
Apple quietly tucked a meaningful security update into iOS 26—one aimed at a real and growing concern: juice jacking. The term refers to a malicious tactic where a charging port doubles as a data access point, letting someone quietly reach into your phone while you think you’re just topping up your battery. Security researchers have warned about it for years. Now Apple has stepped in with a practical, user-first defense.
The new safeguard is simple but effective. When you connect a new USB-C accessory, iOS 26 doesn’t just assume it’s safe. Instead, it deliberately pauses and prompts you to decide whether to allow data access. If you tap “Don’t Allow,” charging continues as usual—but the data pins stay closed off. No background data handshakes. No surprise file transfers. Just electricity.
Apple tightened the screws further for locked devices. If your iPhone is locked when you plug it in, iOS blocks data entirely until you unlock it and give explicit permission. That extra layer means a few seconds at a public kiosk can’t silently compromise your phone.
ASRock’s X870 LiveMixer WiFi puts USB connectivity first with twenty-five total ports for creators, gamers, and power users.
Most boards today give you a few decent USB connections and expect you to figure out the rest with hubs and adapters. That’s fine for casual setups, but chances are if you’re running external drives, cameras, audio gear, or other devices, you’ll run out of ports fast. The ASRock X870 LiveMixer WiFi flips that script. This board comes with twenty-five USB ports in total, which is way more than you’ll see on a typical motherboard.
Rear panel options
The first thing to understand is that the back panel is stacked. You get sixteen ports right out of the box, and two of those are USB4 Type-C. Those are your heavy hitters: up to 40 Gbps transfers, plus display output if the CPU supports it. That kind of bandwidth makes external SSDs or capture gear run like they should.
You also get another Type-C rated for USB 3.2 Gen1 speeds and about seven Type-A ports in that same Gen1 class. That’s plenty fast for most peripherals — webcams, audio interfaces, or storage that doesn’t need crazy speed. Then there’s the legacy support: six USB 2.0 ports still hanging around. They’re slow at 480 Mbps, sure, but perfect for things like keyboards, mice, dongles, or older hardware that doesn’t benefit from more bandwidth.
Internal headers and front access
Add another nine ports through the internal headers and you hit the big twenty-five.
What is “SurpriseRemovalOK” Or “Safe Removal” Setting
The SurpriseRemovalOK setting in Windows is a registry value that determines whether a USB mass storage device can be safely removed without using the “Safely Remove Hardware” option. When set to 1, the system treats the device as hot-swappable, disables write caching, and allows users to unplug it without first notifying the operating system. This setting is commonly used for USB flash drives and memory cards, where users often remove devices without ejecting them through the UI.
The registry key for this setting typically appears under:
Surprise removal, in technical terms, refers to the disconnection of a device without prior notification to the operating system. Unlike orderly removal, which involves preparing the system for safe detachment using tools like the Device Manager or “Safely Remove Hardware,” a surprise removal triggers specific system callbacks. For instance, in Windows, the framework calls EvtDeviceSurpriseRemoval before executing further cleanup and device destruction. This behavior is supported by architectures such as PCI Express and is common with hot-swappable interfaces like PCMCIA. However, surprise removals can also trigger event logs, such as Event ID 157, which indicate that a non-removable disk was disconnected unexpectedly. These events may stem from physical removal, hardware failure, software actions like VM snapshots, or driver-related issues.
“Safely Remove Hardware” First Debut Date
Microsoft first introduced the “Safely Remove Hardware” feature in Windows 2000, marking the first OS version to officially support hot-swappable USB mass storage devices. Prior to this, Windows 95 and 98 provided only limited and less reliable support for USB, often leading to data corruption or unreadable drives. Microsoft responded to growing user feedback from the late 1990s, especially as USB flash drives and external hard drives became more common. Bootable USB Devices
. Users and OEMs reported frequent issues like corrupted file systems and lost data due to unsafe removal practices.
“Encryption” is a term which is used too broadly to describe security. A good example, is the term “encrypted USB flash drives.” This phrase means different things to different people. Some interpret an encrypted flash drive to be a flash drive which requires a password to be entered before the files can be viewed. Some interpret this phrase as a read-only flash drive, where the files cannot be deleted off the drive. Others believe the phrase is related to copy protection, such that a file on the drive cannot be copied or duplicated.
The truth is, the term “encryption” applies a little bit to each one above, only in a different method on how the encryption is applied to the product.
In very simple terms: “Encryption” is the process of encoding information.
Here are four USB flash drive encryption examples of encoding information for security purposes where the products cannot be found on Amazon.
USB Data Encryption
The most common association with encryption is that of a password. With USB data encryption the files on a flash drive are protected until the correct password is entered. An algorithm is applied to the files to mix and scramble the binary copies so everything is un-readable. However, when the correct password is entered the binary part of the files are re-organized to display the file as expected – as if the file wasn’t encrypted.
The USB Data Encryption flash drive on this blog post is a solution where the encrypted files will be decrypted and displayed on either a Mac or Windows computer. This is a unique solution because most encryption products, such as “BitLocker” from Windows is a OS dependent encryption solution. In addition to the decryption working on either a Mac or Windows computer the USB flash drive is also write protected. Meaning the USB is read-only. The benefit with this added feature is even after the correct password is entered and the files become readable, the flash drive still has security where the files cannot be deleted or formatted off the drive.
The encrypted flash drives you find on Amazon do not have write protection and they do not decrypt in both Mac computers and Windows computers.
Note: Anyone who enters the correct password can then do anything they want with the files such as print, save, stream, share, screen grab, etc.
USB Copy Protection
Another common misuse of the term encryption is when that term is applied to copy protection. As mentioned before with the definition of encryption, the encoding of information, USB copy protection does encode the information, but a password isn’t required to view the file.
The big difference between encryption and copy protection is with encryption, once the user enters the correct password the user can do anything they want with the file, like print, save, stream, share, screen grab, etc. However, with copy protection the philosophy is backwards… the idea is for anyone to see the file, but nothing can be done with the file. It can only be viewed – nothing else.
A good example of copy protection would be a teacher who creates a valuable video or PDF file and sells them as part of the class curriculum. By using copy protection, the teacher is guaranteed the content will not be illegally duplicated by a student and shared with the rest class. There is no password associated with the files, because a password doesn’t stop the duplication of the content – only copy protection will.
Said another way, the USB flash drive becomes a physical dongle to each copy of the digital files. Without the flash drive, the copy protected content will not play.
USB copy protection products are another category of encrypted flash drives you will not find on Amazon.
Calling a USB write protected flash drive an encrypted flash drive is a less common mistake. However, it is worth mentioning because the solution restricts activity to the drive, there is encoding of information to make the product secure.
USB write protection is also called “read-only” and the term means the device cannot be written to… the device is protected from being altered. This is a valuable attribute of a flash drive. In today’s digital world, it is important the content put onto a flash drive cannot be changed or manipulated. This is the value in a write protected flash drive. Once the files are copied to the flash drive it is impossible to edit, format, delete, manipulate or alter the content.
The other unique characteristic of a write protected flash drive is the fact a virus cannot jump onto the drive. By definition the USB is read-only, which makes it impossible for a virus to write itself onto the flash drive and spread.
The write protection scheme does require encoding of data to set the USB flash drive into the state of being read-only. This is where some level of encryption is applied to the USB product.
A USB write protection product is another category of encrypted flash drive you will not find on Amazon.
A USB CD-ROM drive is very similar to a USB write protected flash drive. As with all previous examples, the USB CD-ROM flash drive uses a specific type of encoding to the data to create a flash drive which appears as a CD-ROM when connected to a computer.
From the older “optical days” we know by definition a CD-ROM is read-only, or write protected. This solution uses ISO image files, just like CD and DVD burners to write data to the USB flash drive. The resultant drive is a USB device which appears as a CD-ROM when connected to a Mac or Windows or Linux computer.
Then encoding of information is done at the hardware level of the chip inside the USB flash drive. This chip setting reconfigures the drive to appear as an optical drive. When a customer first receives the flash drive, the USB drive is actually a blank CD-ROM. Once the ISO file is written to the drive, then data will appear, just like that of a CD or DVD.
The USB CD-ROM is valuable because the CD-ROM configuration will take advantage of the Windows auto-run functionality. Meaning, when the USB CD-ROM is connected to a PC, when the user clicks on the flash drive letter in Windows Explorer the auto-run functions will immediately begin. This is a valuable step for software companies who depend on automated installation of their software.
A USB CD-ROM flash drive is another category of encrypted flash drive you will not find on Amazon.
As one can see, there are many different “forms” of encryption and how that encryption technology can apply to USB flash drives. This article also points out that Amazon does not carry and offer every type of flash drive which is useful to so many companies and organizations.
Has anyone noticed FAT32 format option is gone in Windows?
Microsoft has not issued an official statement explaining why the FAT32 formatting option is unavailable for storage devices 32GB and larger but we’ve done some digging and came up with a possible answer.
On both Windows 10 and Windows 11, users are typically presented with formatting options for NTFS (New Technology File System) or exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table). The choice to format a drive as FAT32 is missing once the drive exceeds 32GB in capacity.
Since Microsoft has not clarified this change, it’s widely assumed that the decision was made to avoid problems caused by FAT32’s limitations—especially its inability to store files larger than 4GB. As file sizes have continued to grow over the years, this limitation has become more noticeable.
The FAT32 file system cannot handle single files larger than 4GB. This is due to its 32-bit file allocation table, which caps the maximum file size at 4,294,967,295 bytes. Regardless of the cluster size, FAT32 simply cannot address a file above that cluster size.
For users who need to store high-resolution videos, system backups, or other large files, switching to exFAT or NTFS is essential. NTFS, which is the default for most internal drives in Windows, offers better support for large files, access permissions, and journaling. ExFAT, on the other hand, was created as a lightweight, high-capacity alternative for external storage that’s compatible across multiple operating systems. But don’t format USB flash drives as NTFS as we’ve mentioned before.
We think Microsoft removed the FAT32 option for drives above 32GB to prevent user confusion and/or support issues. For example, trying to copy a 5GB video file to a FAT32 drive will result in a frustrating error message. By defaulting to exFAT, Windows helps users avoid this issue without needing to explain file system limits.
ExFAT supports significantly larger file sizes compared to FAT32. In theory, exFAT can handle files up to 16 exabytes (16 million terabytes), although real-world limits are much lower and depend on the device’s implementation. Even so, it’s more than sufficient for most consumer and professional use cases, from video production to large-scale backups.
While exFAT offers excellent cross-platform compatibility and large file support, users should be aware that some older operating systems or embedded devices might not support it natively.
Real Quick: A Brief History of File Systems
The concept of a file system—the method by which data is organized and stored on a storage device—has evolved steadily since the early days of computing.
General Motors needed a file system in the 1950s to help their early computers store and organize large amounts of business data—like payroll, inventory, and production schedules. Working with IBM, they developed one of the first operating systems (GM-NAA I/O) to manage these tasks. It allowed the computer to access and manage files on magnetic tape, making it easier to run multiple jobs and retrieve information efficiently. This basic file system helped move computing from scientific use into real-world business operations.
A few years later, more advanced systems like MIT’s Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS) introduced features like named files and user access control. By the 1970s, UNIX and Multics brought in hierarchical directory structures that closely resemble the file systems we use today.
Lake Forest, CA – [June 24, 2025] — Nexcopy introduces the Lock License USB drive as a secure, modern alternative to the USB write protect switch — offering firmware-level data protection with no physical toggle. A leading provider of advanced USB technology solutions, Nexcopy is emphasizing that the Lock License USB flash drive is a groundbreaking replacement for the traditional USB write protect switch flash drive. Built on a hardware-firmware architecture, the Lock License flash drive offers unmatched security, automation, and deployment capabilities for modern business and industrial use.
For years, one USB flash drive option was a manual write protect switch for basic read-only data protection. However, in today’s threat landscape, this physical toggle is not only antiquated but also vulnerable to human error and physical tampering. Nexcopy’s Lock License USB drive redefines secure data transport and storage by offering firmware-level, controller-enforced read-only protection which is always active from the very first use.
“The USB write protect switch is simply outdated technology,” says Greg Morris, President of Nexcopy. “Lock License is built from the ground up with enterprise-level features like automatic re-locking, password-protected access, command-line scripting, and zero backdoor access — something the switch could never provide.”
A Construction Worker USB Flash Drive That Builds Lasting Impressions
At first glance, this isn’t just another thumb drive—it’s a miniature construction worker,
complete with hard hat, safety vest, and a friendly smile. The figure looks like something
you’d keep on your desk, and that’s exactly the point. It mixes a useful tool with a playful,
display-worthy shape, so people actually keep it rather than toss it in a drawer.
Nexcopy’s USB HDD “Fixed Disk” appears to act like a local hard drive, which can help teams operate in environments where removable drives are restricted.
In high-security environments, USB drives can be good and bad. What I mean is, the flash drive is essential for information deployment, imaging, and data transfer, but we’ve also heard time and time again how USB flash media can be a potential security risk. Many organizations address this by implementing Removable Storage Restrictions through Group Policy or endpoint security tools.
The problem? Those same policies that protect against unauthorized USB usage can also block your legitimate workflow.
The Common Roadblock
Let’s say your IT guys did crack down on Group Policy USB control. If your USB drive shows up to the operating system as “Removable Media,” it can be locked out entirely. That means:
Imaging tools like Acronis True Image or Symantec Ghost refuse to write to it.
Windows To Go won’t install or boot from it.
Multi-partition booting won’t work in legacy BIOS environments.
Secure facilities simply won’t let you plug it in at all.
The Nexcopy Solution
The USB HDD Fixed Disk is different. It’s configured at the hardware controller level to report itself as a Local Disk (Fixed Disk), just like an internal hard drive.
Why does this matter? Because most removable drive restrictions don’t apply to fixed disks. Did we crack the code?
IT policy still holds for unsafe removable drives.
Your approved, Nexcopy-issued Fixed Disk USB will mount and operate without special permissions.
You can continue your deployment or service work without IT needing to rewrite policy rules.
There’s buzz in the dev and IT circles about a new type of USB drive being tested by a Southern California tech group — and it’s not your average thumb drive. Unlike traditional models, this device identifies as a Local Disk instead of a removable drive. That subtle shift could have a big impact for system builders, software developers, and security-minded teams.
What’s different between a flash drive and hard drive?
Rather than acting like a typical USB memory device, this one behaves more like a hard drive — natively and consistently across all major operating systems. Early info suggests it’s not relying on software tricks or OS-specific tweaks. Instead, it’s using a controller-level hardware profile to mount as a Fixed Disk. That makes it ideal for workflows that require a genuine HDD classification, such as enterprise deployment tools, forensic environments, or OS imaging applications.
People familiar with the project say it’s especially useful for creating Windows To Go environments or installing software that demands a hard disk target. This isn’t a workaround — it’s a purpose-built piece of hardware made to behave like part of your machine, not a plug-in accessory.
Reported features include support for both USB 2.0 and 3.0 protocols, multiple enclosure styles, and compliance with major certification standards (CE, FCC, RoHS, UL). Early samples start at 2GB with scalable options beyond that — and are available in small production runs for evaluation.
For integrators, this could be a clean solution to a long-standing limitation with USB-based installations. No registry edits. No mounting scripts. Just plug, and go.
USB flash drive security is a major concern these days and a significant security threat to both consumers and organizations via USB can pose a big problem for those trying to protect their computers and networks.
Thumb drives are convenient because they are small in size and fast with read and write performance making them an ideal device for moving data; however, flash drives can be abused by cyber criminals to infect computers because of their ease-of-use.
Until the Nexcopy Lock License technology was introduced the fundamental way a flash drive works is a benefit for how malware can spread, because all USB flash drives have a read and write status by default. Lock License technology reverses the state of the flash drive – the device is always write protected, or said another way: read only.
Recently, a team of scientists from Liverpool Hope University in the UK created a sophisticated USB device with all sorts of endpoint protection software loaded on the USB drive in the attempt to block malware getting onto a drive.
The Liverpool Hope University scientists said, “If the OS is not configured to restrict and promote the user’s permission on an inserted USB device, then as soon as the USB drive is inserted it can execute default auto run script that can deliver the intended payload to the computing devices and deliver multiple kinds of malicious programs such as viruses, Trojans, Keyloggers, Spyware, Remote Access Trojans (RATs), and so forth to the computing devices.”
However, what these scientist overlooked in their research is the simple fact of making the USB read only.
It is important to understand how a virus interacts with a USB device to fully appreciate the above sentence.
A virus designed to spread via USB has two main goals: First, spread any way possible via USB and second, remain undetected as long as possible. Because a virus is trying to stay undetected the malware will ping any USB device connected upon power up. Once the virus identifies if the USB device is usable, the virus will go back into hibernation. For example, if a USB mouse is connected the virus quickly determines this is a HID device (Human Input Device) and does not have memory for the virus to spread it’s code. However, a virus will ping a USB flash drive and quickly determine it is read/write and will insert it’s code onto the USB flash memory.
With a Lock License USB flash drive, the device is always write protected. This default state of the flash drive means a virus will identify the USB as read only, leave it alone, and got back into hibernation. Malware does not re-examine devices because the more active a virus is, the more likely the virus will be detected.
This is what the scientists at the Liverpool Hope University did not take into account when building their anti-malware device, is the simple fact of removing the “write” capability of the USB flash drive.
With a Lock License drive defaulting to a write protected state, means control of when the USB device becomes writable is 100% in the hands of the User. This means a User can perform all the scans and testing they require before determining the flash drive is clean and making the USB writable. The old ways of how a virus writes itself onto a USB flash drive is gone, because the Lock License USB is read only.
The Lock License technology has two unique characteristics. First, the User must enter an encrypted password to enable the write function of the USB device. Again, this puts total control back into the hands of the user for when write access is granted to the device. Second, the device is always write protected when connected to any system.
Consider the following:
A User enters their encrypted pass code to make the USB writable. Once their data load is complete the User removes the drive. At this point, when the power is cut to the Lock License drive, the default state is now read only. When the Lock License drive is connected to anything again, it is write protected and read only and impossible for a virus to write itself onto the flash drive.
This simple change of manufacturing a drive to always be in a read only state is the game changer against malware and cyber security threats via USB flash drives. Without the USB device being writable, it is impossible for a virus to spread to the device.
Closing Comment
The Lock License drive is a hardware solution. The write protection is not a software setting. There are no drivers to install or software to install. The USB flash drive will always be write protected when connected to any device, such as a Linux computer, Mac or Windows computer, a car stereo or any other host. To make the Lock License drive writable for data loading is only possible on a Windows computer.
When it comes to making a USB stick read only, or USB write protected, there are two options. The first is the original technology of using a physical switch to toggle on and off the flash drive writing. The more recent technology is a programmatical way to toggle the write protection on and off.
Why write protect a USB anyway?
Great question. There are two main categories of flash drive users;
A) the home computer user and
B) the corporate / business world. The home computer user probably doesn’t care too much about making a USB read only because their environment is trusted. They know who’s had the USB and they know the computers it is being plugged into. However corporate folks definitely care about making a USB read only.
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They have two main reasons why
They don’t want their data changed or manipulated.
They don’t want a virus to spread via their USB; it’s bad publicity and a security risk. Corporations don’t want those headaches.
Surprisingly this review has brought to light the way all flash drives should work.
Since 2008 when USB flash drives really started getting mainstream most IT folks and systems integrators leaned on USB drives with physical write protect switches to safeguard files from tampering or corruption. But that hardware toggle — while once helpful — is on its way out.
Industry insiders say a major USB technology company based in Southern California is preparing to unveil a new type of flash drive that renders the old switch obsolete. According to early chatter, the device uses firmware at the controller level to lock the drive into a read-only state by default — no manual switch, no end-user slipups, and no chance of getting flipped off accidentally.
More intriguing? Sources say the device is password-controlled, re-locks automatically when unplugged, and supports scripting for mass deployment — making it a potential game-changer for government agencies, hospitals, and manufacturing workflows where USB data security isn’t optional.
From what we’ve heard, this isn’t just an upgrade — it’s a reimagining of what write protection on a USB drive should look like in 2025. Keep an eye out for the official announcement, expected within a week or so.
It’s not just the end of the physical USB write protect switch — this marks a new standard for secure flash storage.
Editor’s note: We’ll update this post with a link once the official announcement is live.