USB Security Analyzer Detects and Responds to Potential Threats
USB security software can detect unauthorized usage
USB devices are readily available and often go unmonitored, potentially serving as a blind spot in a network’s security. Due to this, these devices present a risk of data loss and breaches since they make potentially insecure transfers of data easy.
When you install the SolarWinds® Security Event Manager (SEM) agent, you will also have the option to install USB Defender. The USB Defender Local Policy connector is an endpoint USB security technology designed to protect your data against potential USB threats.
USB Defender enables a SEM agent to monitor the usage of USB devices, including phones, cameras, and mass storage devices on your domain controller server, with the ability to send real-time notifications when USB drivers are installed. USB Defender is also built with the ability to manually and automatically send commands to detach offending devices.
Respond to USB security threats with device control/lockdown
With SolarWinds SEM, you can enhance your USB port security by using preset, out-of-the-box active response rules or creating your own rules. Active response rules are designed to block USB devices when USB access poses a threat—for instance, if deployed by a blacklisted user account. Using USB Defender, you can set active response rules to automatically check if a device belongs to the whitelisted, user-defined group of authorized USB devices. If an unauthorized USB is detected, you can execute preventive measures like automatically detaching the USB device, killing processes by ID or name, blocking IP addresses, and shutting down machines.
USB Defender also writes events related to USB devices attached to SEM agents by default. These events can be parsed for other field information to create more complex blacklist comparisons in addition to more restricted policies for which types of devices should be allowed in the USB Defender Local Policy whitelist users and devices file.
Easily run reports with a USB activity monitor
Monitoring a network for USB threats is a requirement for a number of compliance regulations, including PCI DSS. To help demonstrate compliance, SEM offers both built-in and customizable report templates designed for easier compliance reporting. Run reports on key metrics by using the USB analyzer file auditing feature in SEM to monitor activity of USB devices to track suspicious user activity, like unwarranted data transfer from an authorized USB port to better understand whether users are copying unauthorized files to external devices. The USB activity monitor and compliance reporting tool in SEM can also help admins identify unauthorized applications launched from USB devices by auditing USB file activities.
What is USB security?
USB devices are commonly used in business settings today, but simply plugging a USB device into a computer can allow malware on the device to take over your entire IT infrastructure. While most understand the importance of having cybersecurity software in place, many overlook the dangers posed by unmonitored USBs. This lack of USB security can leave organizations open to data thefts, breaches, viruses, and may result in damage to their reputation.
USB security solutions are designed to protect against these risks, which often arise when employees don’t follow company protocol on USBs. USB port security consists of working to reduce the manageable threats to your network posed by potentially malicious USB mass storage devices. This security strategy can include monitoring USB devices on a network for suspicious users and activities, restricting USB devices allowed to connect to the network, and having automated incident responses in place to trigger actions as well as alert administrators when such events occur. Even a small lag in threat detection and response time can cause devastating damage to a network, which is why it is critical to have real-time USB monitoring.
How does USB analyzer work?
USB security software works by protecting your network from the damage that can be introduced through a USB port. This type of tool can be built to use the collected information that includes what USB ports are being utilized, by whom, and with what device.
A central feature of comprehensive USB security software is a USB analyzer, which goes beyond a simple USB activity monitor and can perform device control/lockdown. For example, if an analyzer detects a newly installed but unapproved USB device, a USB analyzer is built to not only send a real-time alert to administrators but also automatically lockdown the port by detaching the device to protect the network.
When choosing a USB port security software solution, you should consider whether its features include the ability to compare devices identified on the network to a pre-existing whitelist of users and devices that have approved access in addition to a blacklist of unapproved users and devices based on restrictions like username, USB PID, or user groups to help ensure comprehensive USB security. The best USB software will also provide the option to automatically detach potentially hazardous USB devices to minimize impact.
Why is USB security important?
USB security is important to the safety of a network, since USBs are an extremely vulnerable element of any network. They leave many opportunities open for insiders to potentially harm the network either intentionally, such as a disgruntled employee deciding to extract confidential data and put it on an external drive on their way out, or unintentionally, such as an employee plugging in a compromised USB by mistake.
It is impossible to over-exaggerate the amount of damage that can be done through a USB. Yet, in many networks, this is a vulnerable blind spot and common entry point for attacks that result in reputation-damaging data theft or viruses that can shut down an entire network—all from just one USB. However, taking proactive USB security measures can help reduce the likelihood of a data breach and other USB-related cyberattacks.
What does USB security software do?
USB security software protects one of the most vulnerable and often overlooked points on your network. Unmonitored USB ports pose an ongoing risk to your network security. USB security software helps ensure you are not only monitoring the activity on USBs at your endpoints, but you are also getting real-time event insights from users and activities occurring at those ports while proactively allowing or disallowing certain devices onto the network. By providing a record of USB activity with real-time monitoring and log analysis, USB security software can help significantly reduce the potential of compromised devices entering your network.
USB security is also important because many industry-specific IT compliance frameworks require you to restrict and manage USB port access. One way to make sure you can demonstrate compliance standards is by utilizing a security tool like Security Event Manager, which is built with features that can help you ensure your systems demonstrate the necessary requirements.
How does the USB analyzer work in Security Event Manager?
SolarWinds Security Event Manager is designed to make monitoring USB port security easier with its USB Defender feature. With USB Defender, you get real-time USB endpoint technology designed to help protect sensitive data from potential threats. The tool is built to enforce restrictions of USB devices that attempt to enter your network, from keyboards and mice to flash drives and external hard drives.
SEM is also built to collect, monitor, and normalize logs in a centralized location, so you can better identify and act quickly against potential security threats. SEM comes with built-in filters to monitor for specific events, and rules that can be configured to trigger automatic responses to those events. These rules include blocking IP addresses, killing processes by name or ID, automatically detaching USB devices, or shutting down machines when a potentially malicious event occurs.
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- What is USB security?
- How does USB analyzer work?
- Why is USB security important?
- What does USB security software do?
- How does the USB analyzer work in Security Event Manager?
- Related Features and Tools
What is USB security?
USB devices are commonly used in business settings today, but simply plugging a USB device into a computer can allow malware on the device to take over your entire IT infrastructure. While most understand the importance of having cybersecurity software in place, many overlook the dangers posed by unmonitored USBs. This lack of USB security can leave organizations open to data thefts, breaches, viruses, and may result in damage to their reputation.
USB security solutions are designed to protect against these risks, which often arise when employees don’t follow company protocol on USBs. USB port security consists of working to reduce the manageable threats to your network posed by potentially malicious USB mass storage devices. This security strategy can include monitoring USB devices on a network for suspicious users and activities, restricting USB devices allowed to connect to the network, and having automated incident responses in place to trigger actions as well as alert administrators when such events occur. Even a small lag in threat detection and response time can cause devastating damage to a network, which is why it is critical to have real-time USB monitoring.
USB security software provides threat detection and prevention
Security Event Manager
- Demonstrate compliance and prove proper USB usage
- Stay proactive with automatic responses to USB security threats
- Help ensure that USB devices don’t threaten business security
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