SmartLine DeviceLock 6

It's a well-known fact that most security breaches now occur inside the network perimeter, and one of the biggest headaches for network administrators is removable media. It's all too easy for employees to steal valuable corporate data with nothing more than a cheap USB flash drive. So some form of access control is now essential. DeviceLock impressed us when we last looked at it, and this latest version delivers even more security controls.

Along with USB, it's capable of securing almost any port or removable media device including serial, parallel and infrared ports, plus CD, DVD, MO and wireless network adapters. DeviceLock 6 delivers a wealth of new features with the smart data-shadowing option at the top of the list. This allows it to mirror any data being copied to a removable device and will even work with serial and parallel ports. In its most basic form it will store the data in a private location on the user's PC, and you can set quotas to limit the space used and decide how long it should be retained for. DeviceLock now offers a new Enterprise Server component that allows data from shadowing operations to be moved onto a centralised, long-term storage location.

The management interface now functions as an MMC snap-in, and integration with AD has been tightened even further, allowing access permissions to be managed at the user and group membership levels. Networks that aren't using AD will find the Enterprise Manager console more appropriate. It offers a scan function that locates NT authentication domains, workgroups and specific computers and provides tools to swiftly deploy the DeviceLock agent. This is used to intercept device requests at the kernel level and block access if it isn't permitted. All users will see is the standard Windows message telling them that the device can't be accessed.

DeviceLock is very flexible. For each device and port type, access can be permitted or denied and those that support read and write operations can be limited to read only. A scheduler is provided, so policies can be activated for specific times and days. A white list of USB devices allows you to control access to specific devices, as DeviceLock creates a database entry for each one, identified by a unique code.

Another new feature is the ability to control access to specific pieces of DVD and CD-ROM media. Simply load the disc, add it to the media database and DeviceLock will compute a signature for each piece of authorised media. You can then create a policy that allows only specific users or groups to access the listed disc. If anyone modifies its contents then DeviceLock will block any further access to it, as it no longer matches its database signature. The shadow log is maintained in the management console, where you can view all files that were copied along with the device type and filename.

We've always found DeviceLock to be one of the easiest access-control products to deploy and manage. Furthermore, its pricing structure makes it an affordable option for smaller businesses, and the new features mean it's even more versatile.

Author: Dave Mitchell