Removable devices have become standard tools in modern workplaces. They include optical disks, memory cards, smartphones, USB flash drives, and external hard drives. Their advantage lies in the ability of employees to easily take files with them when working remotely or traveling on business. Despite this convenience, removable devices have long been regarded as a major security risk. Unencrypted, insecure, and sometimes compromised, they can enable the spread of malware across corporate networks and lead to the exfiltration of sensitive data from company computers.
USB devices in particular have a long record as both the origin of major data breaches and a common attack vector for infiltrating company networks. According to the 2024 USB Threat Report, 51% of malicious attacks targeted USB devices, which is significantly more than 9% in 2019. USBs can also be used to boot systems and bypass login credentials to gain access to unencrypted hard drives.
As a result, device control tools have become a critical element of data protection strategies, giving organizations the ability to regulate or prohibit the use of removable storage. Netwrix Endpoint Protector DLP software provides a dedicated Device Control module, offering some of the most advanced features on the market for managing removable media.
Limiting or blocking removable media
Given the concerning range of risks, many organizations may decide to block the use of USBs and removable devices entirely. This can be achieved through the Device Control module of Netwrix Endpoint Protector, which can disable USB and peripheral ports as well as Bluetooth connections, ensuring that no unauthorized device can connect to corporate computers.
In practice, however, a complete block on removable devices can hinder employees in performing daily tasks and drive them to alternative online file transfer tools. These alternatives can create a new layer of data security threats. While such risks can be mitigated with other DLP features, such as Netwrix Endpoint Protector’s Content Aware Protection module, organizations often prefer to restrict removable device use rather than ban it outright.
Through the Device Control module, companies can assign trust levels to devices depending on their encryption status, allowing only removable media with strong security measures to connect to endpoints.
Granular policies
The policies available through Netwrix Endpoint Protector extend beyond device encryption or global company-wide rules. Administrators can apply differentiated policies to specific groups, users, or computers.
This flexibility enables stricter security controls for staff who routinely handle sensitive information, while granting other employees greater freedom. Alternatively, an organization may apply a company-wide ban on removable devices. At the same time, it can allow exceptions for specific individuals or departments where these devices are essential. There is also a read-only mode. This option lets users access and view files stored on removable devices. However, it blocks all data transfers to and from them.
Stricter controls outside the office
The spread of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) practices and the shift to remote work during and after the COVID-19 pandemic have changed how corporate laptops are used. It is now common for these devices to operate beyond company networks. Netwrix Endpoint Protector works at the endpoint level rather than the network level. This ensures that its security policies remain active whether a device is in the office or off-site.
Organizations can also take extra steps to protect sensitive data. They can enforce stricter removable media policies outside working hours, outside the company network, or in both situations. The dashboard makes this flexible. Administrators can define working days and hours, as well as network identifiers such as DNS or ID. They can then configure different rules based on these parameters.
Offline temporary passwords
Situations can arise when employees outside the office urgently need to use removable media to transfer or access files, for example during client meetings. To address such scenarios, Netwrix Endpoint Protector allows administrators to generate offline temporary passwords. These provide time-limited unrestricted access to a specific device, computer, or user.
Intuitive cross-platform interface
One of the strongest advantages of Netwrix Endpoint Protector is its straightforward deployment and usability. The solution requires neither extensive training nor long implementation processes, and it can be operational within just a few hours. As a cross-platform product, it delivers consistent feature sets for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring uniform enforcement of device control policies across all corporate endpoints, regardless of operating system.
