In general terms, TF cards and microSD cards are the same. They share the same physical size and most technical characteristics, and the two formats can be used interchangeably.

There are some technical differences between the two, which are explained later. For now, the most important difference between a TF card and a microSD card is the history behind the name.

The TF card came first. TF card—also known as T-Flash or TransFlash—was introduced by SanDisk in 2004. SanDisk, in partnership with Motorola, created the TF card specification. At the time, it was the smallest read/write memory form factor available and was designed specifically for mobile devices.

TF cards are based on NAND¹ flash memory. The format had a short lifespan. By the end of 2004, the Secure Digital Association—the governing body for Secure Digital media—absorbed the TransFlash technology and rebranded it as microSD.

As a result, the TF card effectively disappeared in late 2004, while the microSD card has remained in production ever since. This explains why TF-branded cards are no longer available today. Another factor was capacity: TF cards were limited to 16MB or 32MB at the time of production, capacities that are impractically small by modern standards.

Here is the key technical distinction between the two formats: microSD cards support SDIO mode, which allows them to perform functions unrelated to storage, such as Bluetooth, GPS, and Near Field Communication. TransFlash cards do not support these capabilities.

SDIO stands for Secure Digital Input Output. It is a Secure Digital interface specification that allows SD cards to function as input or output devices rather than just memory.

The SD Association also established a method to standardize speed ratings for SD cards. These ratings, known as Speed Class, define the minimum sustained write speed of a card. Common classes include Class 2 (2MB/s), Class 4 (4MB/s), Class 6 (6MB/s), and Class 10 (10MB/s). These values represent minimum performance levels, and actual speeds may be higher.

NAND is not an acronym. The term comes from “NOT AND,” a Boolean logic operator. A NAND gate produces a false value only when both inputs are true. It contrasts with a NOR gate, which produces a true value only when both inputs are false.

Understanding How USB Copy Protection Works

In this article we will detail how USB copy protection solutions work from a Southern California company named Nexcopy. Before we start there are important definitions we must all agree upon. As in today’s market place there are multiple vendors using the wrong definitions to explain copy protection.

Copy protection is different than encryption; although copy protection does use a form of encryption in the overall solution.

Encryption is scrambling up data and requiring a password to piece all the data together and display it. Once the password is entered the data can be viewed. The potential security issue is the user who entered the password can now do anything they wish with the files, print, save, share, etc.

Copy protection is different in two ways. First, there is no password required to view the data. Second, the files cannot be saved, printed, shared, streamed when viewed by even the most trusted user.

The later, copy protection, is what most people want when it comes to multi-media files like PDF, video, audio and HTML pages. Most users want the data to be seen by as many people as possible, yet the data cannot be saved, shared, streamed, printed or screen captured.

So with that in mind, let us review how the Nexcopy solution works for USB copy protection.

Key Features of Nexcopy USB Copy Protection

Here are six bullet points regarding features Nexcopy provides which others do not:

• Copy protected content plays on both Mac and Windows computers
• There are no Admin rights required to play the content
• There is no installation required on the host computer
• The content runs 100% from the flash drive
• The USB stick is write protect, so files cannot be deleted or changed
• The solution is both hardware and software, ultra-secure

The Nexcopy USB copy protection solution runs with the assumption the content owner does not want to share the data with even duplication service companies. It is assumed the content owner wants total control of the data before, during and after the USB duplication process.

Here are the steps for using the Copy Secure drives as the content owner:

Does the title of this article even make sense? Yes—but probably not to most people.

USB enumeration is the process a host computer uses to identify the type of USB device that has been connected and determine how the operating system should interact with the newly detected device.

The term “fingerprint” refers to the specific sequence of steps an operating system follows when determining the type and behavior of a USB device.

For roughly 99.7% of visitors to this site, this information won’t matter. For others, however, it is critical. The security industry is a prime example. If a security professional, development team, or programmer understands the exact steps an operating system takes to mount a USB device, they can better design and protect secure applications.

Andrea Barisani, a security researcher based in Italy, published open-source code that compares USB enumeration fingerprints across macOS, Windows, and Linux. The source code is available on GitHub (view here).

This code is particularly valuable for software developers working with USB flash drives, portable applications, or device-level security controls.

You never know where a flash drive has been.

It’s always best to scan a USB flash drive before using it.

Did you know Windows Defender can be configured to automatically scan a USB flash drive the moment it is plugged in? Below are the steps to configure Microsoft Windows to scan USB drives automatically.

By default, Windows Defender is not configured to automatically scan removable drives when the operating system is installed. This is surprising, as malware spreading through USB flash drives remains a common security issue. The likely reason is user choice—automatic scans take time, and Microsoft leaves the decision up to the user.

This tutorial takes about three minutes to complete. Read through the steps first, then return and apply the settings when ready.

We are going to create a Group Policy rule that instructs Windows Defender to scan USB flash drives.

First, open the Group Policy Editor.

Press Windows Key + R.

Type gpedit.msc and press Enter or click OK.

Under Computer Configuration, locate and expand Administrative Templates.

Scroll down and expand Windows Components.

Continue scrolling until you find Windows Defender Antivirus, then expand it.

Locate the Scan folder and click it.

On the right-hand side, look for the setting labeled Scan removable drives and double-click it.

This setting is disabled by default. Select the Enabled option to activate automatic scanning for USB flash drives.

Click Apply, then click OK.

That’s it. Your Windows computer will now automatically scan USB flash drives using Windows Defender when they are connected.

Alternatively, you can insert a USB stick, right-click the drive letter, and select Scan with Windows Defender. The problem with this approach is the USB device may have already executed malicious code before you had a chance to initiate the scan.

Billy Idol’s Hot in the City is the tune that comes to mind whenever talking about USB gadgets designed to keep you cool.

With summer coming into full swing, it’s a good time to mention a USB fan. While browsing Amazon, this Aikoper product caught our attention. At first glance, it honestly looked like something designed by Apple. The aluminum base, sleek black body, and cool gray vents gave it that unmistakable Apple-like aesthetic. Turns out, it’s not an Apple product at all.

This USB fan includes several features we think most people will appreciate.

There is no physical on/off switch. Instead, the fan is controlled by touching the aluminum base, which feels very Apple-esque. A single tap activates low-speed mode, a double tap switches to high speed, and a third tap turns the fan off. The touch-sensitive base includes four rubber pads to prevent vibration during operation.

The fan itself uses a dual-blade design. There are four blades toward the front of the shell and another four blades toward the rear. This configuration is intended to reduce operating noise while maintaining airflow.

The black shell is convex in shape, designed to pull air downward into the system rather than upward. While the pitch angle is limited, this airflow approach may reduce the amount of dust and debris drawn into the fan. The curved shell rests on the aluminum base and allows for slight tilt adjustments to aim airflow higher or lower during use.

The product measures 5.6 × 3.9 × 4.9 inches and sells for $16.99 USD on Amazon at the time of this post.

The Amazon listing shows over 1,600 ratings, with 61% rated five stars and 13% rated four stars. The remainder appears to come from more critical reviewers. To give a sense of real-world feedback, here are a few testimonials from the listing:

The average user inserts a USB stick into their computer from a trusted source. However, there are companies and situations who receive USB flash drives or USB hard drives and they are not certain if the device is infected. Some information to help with USB firewall for connecting USB devices.

Globotron is a company based in New Zealand who designed the product. The product is called Armadillo and is an open-source USB firewall.

Some research has shown, as many as 29 different types of USB attacks can happen from plugging in mass storage devices (like USB flash drives and USB hard drives) or also HID devices (human input devices like keyboards and mouse).

The USB stack which is the low level code used in the host computer, is very complex and over time researchers and hackers have discovered ways to compromise a computer system through these vulnerabilities.

The Armadillo is an open-source device which is a firewall between a USB device and computer. The firewall isolates the firmware of the USB device so as not to infect your PC if the device has been infected with malicious firmware. You just need to plug in Armadillo between your computer and the USB device using the provided micro-USB cable. Armadillo is an upgrade over USG, the original or first-generation USB hardware firewall device.

The Armadillo has bot detection. This means if the USB firewall device detects malicious codes are being entered via keyboard or mouse (HID devices) the device will block transmission and a red LED indicator light will turn on.

The Armadillo has the ability to temporarily make your USB read only. This is valuable if the computer is infected and you need pull information (recovery software) from the USB stick and want to insure virus’ do not infect the flash drive. The USB is read-only, but it is read/write when not connected to the Armadillo.

Note: If you need a USB stick that is always write protected at the controller level, yet need to temporarily turn off the write protection for data changes, the Lock License drive from Nexcopy is your solution.

This last point about the Armadillo is a bit strange, but we like it. The body is sealed with glitter epoxy so it is easy to identify if the box itself was tampered with. Very creative!

The Armadillo USB Firewall is available from Globotron for $150 USD and ships from New Zealand.