Try this first
- 1Do not plug into a work laptop. Period. Not 'just look what is on it' on a personal laptop either.
- 2Store the stick in a sealed bag. Do not throw away, can be evidence.
- 3Report to IT or your manager. Write down: where the stick was, when found, who found it.
- 4Has someone plugged it in already? Follow the 'suspect USB' procedure: laptop offline, Defender Full Scan, possibly isolate.
- 5Train your team: 'found USB = hand in, do not plug'. A few minutes in a team meeting is enough.
When to bring us in
Stick already plugged and files opened? Call us. We want a thorough laptop check within 24 hours. Early detection makes a big difference.
See also
- I think I clicked a phishing linkNo shame, happens to everyone. The next fifteen minutes matter.
- A colleague's account is acting strangelySending mail in their name, rules hiding folders, unusual sign-ins. Suspicious.
- Lost the MFA app: new phone, no backup codesClassic problem after a phone upgrade. You are not the first to be locked out.
None of the above fits?
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Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.