Thanks. Looks like it might be helpful.....I'd like to apply something like that to about 80% of my workstations (about 200 total)...Maybe through a GPO.
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Is it possible to stop employees from copying confidential data from a network server to a USB key drive?
We've had a few employees terminated in the last few months, and there is talk now of somehow securing the network so that users can not copy company data off of our servers onto a removable drive.....I don't see how it's possible though. Any ideas? I think besides a formal (enforced!) company policy and keeping the employees happy, there's not much you can do about that.....Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
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Answers
tenover,
By default, a GPO can't do this; however, Microsoft describe how to extend the normal GP functionality to specifically disable USB devices with an administrative template at http://support.microsoft.c
Hope that helps..
> Title: Is it possible to stop employees from copying
No. In a word, anyone having access can ... access, so try a different approach.
First, allow no access except to those who really do need to know. Sometime the information is lumped to a common area for all. Tell management that the data areas may need to be more specialized for actual usage and need.
Second, publish policy for desire, which should already have info about not downloading malware, comments on policy for email attachements, for building entry and physical access to servers, and simply add anything newfangled such as
"do not use USB without permission of administrator or management"
Why not just buy computer without USB? Once you have it, there will be plenty of useful functions you can have for it.
When employees are caught failing to comply with policy, they can be terminated. When caught swiping or sellin corporate data they can be prosicuted for both remuneration and emprisoned. Let them know that and more will behave.
My opinion is to open up systems more and more, let us have ease of access and learn trust and openness. Rather than seal everything off, which can include some who can help business to profit, if only they knew, my preference is to only deal out the harshness to those who are abusive, not to the groups in general.
In strictness of defining restrictions, it is still said that once a person has access, they cannot be completely restricted. Or, to best protect a system it should not be plugged in.
Agreed, and here's why: http://www.experts-exchang
-rich
I don't know if we have done it the best way - but all our users are restricted users with no rights - So we have just disabled the usb hubs wihtin the device manager options, and it works fine.
The issue for us has been that the clients mices/keyboards are usb based, so we can not shut down all ports on the pcs'. But our way has worked for us, having said that it might not be the right solution for you. But just a thought.
"In strictness of defining restrictions, it is still said that once a person has access, they cannot be completely restricted. Or, to best protect a system it should not be plugged in."
I agree on that one. - there will alway's be creative people finding new way's around the obsticales you set up.
Another suggestion/thought that popped up in my head is that could be to run only thin clients on the network instead of normal workstations, which would an expensive solution for your company to change all hardware and so on.
The plus is with this is that no applications of what-so-ever is running on the stations("Everything" is executed on the servers) and all data is stored/runned from the servers. - Making (in theory) a litte bit harder to be a "data bandit"..
An example:
http://www.neoware.com/sec
http://www.devonit.com/
But as said before - If there is a will there is a way - wishes can move mountains! - And in most cases they certainly do....
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by: JoeZ430Posted on 2007-01-17 at 11:47:28ID: 18335254
Hi tenover,
Here is a registry entry that can help you with this.
http://www.intelliadmin.co
"Disable USB Drives
Once in a while I have a friend, or customer that needs to keep people from using the USB ports to copy data off of a system.
It is easy to lock a machine down, disable the floppy, and cdrom in the bios. Many times when you try to disable USB - it disables it entirely.
This can be a real pain on newer laptops or systems that don't even have a PS2 interface for the mouse or keyboard.
There is a simple registry change that will keep the USB storage drivers from starting when the system boots. Keeps people from walking up to a PC and copying data off with a USB key, but allows you to keep your scanner, keyboard, and mouse working.
As always - back your system up before messing around in the registry.
Just open regedit and browse to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
Notice the value 'Start'
Switch this value to 4, and USB storage devices are disabled.
Switch this value to 3, and USB storage devices are enabled.
For those of you that don't feel like messing around in the registry -
We wrote a program to do it for you"
Joe