USB Security Analyzer Detects and Responds to Potential Threats

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 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.

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.

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.

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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