Portable device that can be connected to an information system (IS), computer, or network to provide data storage. These devices interface with the IS through processing chips and may load driver software, presenting a greater security risk to the IS than non-device media, such as optical discs or flash memory cards.
Note: Examples include, but are not limited to: USB flash drives, external hard drives, and external solid state disk (SSD) drives. Portable Storage Devices also include memory cards that have additional functions aside from standard data storage and encrypted data storage, such as built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and global positioning system (GPS) reception.
See also removable media.
Sources:
CNSSI 4009-2015
under portable storage device
See portable storage device.
Sources:
CNSSI 4009-2015
A system component that can communicate with and be added to or removed from a system or network and that is limited to data storage—including text, video, audio or image data—as its primary function (e.g., optical discs, external or removable hard drives, external or removable solid-state disk drives, magnetic or optical tapes, flash memory devices, flash memory cards, and other external or removable disks).
Sources:
NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5
under portable storage device
A system component that can be inserted into and removed from a system and that is used to store information or data (e.g., text, video, audio, and/or image data). Such components are typically implemented on magnetic, optical, or solid-state devices (e.g., compact/digital video disks, flash/thumb drives, external solid-state drives, external hard disk drives, flash memory cards/drives that contain nonvolatile memory).
Sources:
NIST SP 800-171r3
under portable storage device