Prevent USB drive use?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John
  • Start date Start date
J

John

Is there a policy or any other way to prevent use of USB drives (besides
disabling the USB ports (we need them for printers, but the drives are
secirity/virus risks))?
 
You can completely disable USB ports by using Group Policy to disable
usbstor.sys but there is no easy way to prevent users copying files over
USB. (I assume that's what you're worried about?)

XP SP2 introduced a new registry key that will allow you to make USB flash
drives read-only, but this is of limited use as it wont stop them plugging
in a USB CDRW and getting files that way, it may be of some use to you
though. This is the link:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2otech.mspx#ECAA

Other than that, a 3rd party product may be your best bet, I have seen a
product before that offers enterprise wide control over USB ports but can't
remember what it's called I'm afraid :-(
 
Great, thanks for the help!

Simon Geary said:
You can completely disable USB ports by using Group Policy to disable
usbstor.sys but there is no easy way to prevent users copying files over
USB. (I assume that's what you're worried about?)

XP SP2 introduced a new registry key that will allow you to make USB flash
drives read-only, but this is of limited use as it wont stop them plugging
in a USB CDRW and getting files that way, it may be of some use to you
though. This is the link:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2otech.mspx#ECAA

Other than that, a 3rd party product may be your best bet, I have seen a
product before that offers enterprise wide control over USB ports but
can't remember what it's called I'm afraid :-(
Click to expand...
 
Hi
Is there a policy or any other way to prevent use of USB drives
(besides disabling the USB ports (we need them for printers, but the
drives are secirity/virus risks))?
Click to expand...

I did this by disabling the Drive Letters. It works great. I have
Hidden Drives C:, A:, and my mapped drives (they can still access them
but not see them) and disabled Access to D: through Z: Info on how to
do it here: http://www.sd61.bc.ca/windows2000/HideDrives.htm

Cheers,

Lara
 
John said:
Is there a policy or any other way to prevent use of USB drives (besides
disabling the USB ports (we need them for printers, but the drives are
secirity/virus risks))?
Click to expand...

Try GFI Portable Storage Control. It works for USB/firewire hard drives, usb
keys, digital cameras etc. Basically any external storage can be controlled.

http://www.gfi.com/lanpsc/
 
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