At any given moment, there are massive amounts of data circulating within a network, as well as traversing across its borders. Amidst the whirlwind of innocuous information such as routine emails, notifications, ordinary files and messages, the whereabouts of confidential and sensitive data can be difficult to track, especially when in transit. The challenge can be even greater when USB devices are involved due to their widespread use and the difficulty in tracking their use which is why a all-in-one device control and file access management software solution such as Device Control Plus is necessary.
File tracing is enforced to continuously monitor the whereabouts of corporate data. With Device Control Plus, this is done by meticulously recording the names of transferred files, all the locations they have been archived, and their device destinations. In addition, pertinent details such as when and what file actions were conducted, the users involved, and the endpoints on which the actions were conducted are also noted.
There are 17 types of devices for which policies can be configured separately to ensure granular but flexible control. When designing the policy, either all devices of a device category can be permitted, or specific, trusted devices can be chosen. The policy can then be saved and associated with a custom group of endpoints. For those endpoints, all the file activities of the corresponding allowed devices will be traced.
In Device Control Plus, a group of users can be created who are exempt from policies restricting the use of certain devices. These users, often high-level employees such as the administrator themselves, can use any device, and their device and file activities will continue to be recorded through the File Tracing feature.
File shadowing is a feature that creates a copy of content transfered to USBs and stores it in a secured share folder; however, since this feature requires considerable bandwidth and disk space, limits are often placed with respect to size and extension. With File Tracing, even unshadowed content, regardless of size or extension, can still be tracked.
For devices and users on which File Tracing is imposed, the details of their file transfer operations will be consistently audited. The information collected will be available at the next earliest communication established between the agent and the Device Control Plus server, which usually occurs during refresh cycles.
An effective solution is to first adopt a methodical approach to permit only specific, trusted devices to connect with the network. It is equally important to implement a file tracing protocol to closely observe which files are associated with which device operations, as well as the original and exported locations of those files. In case of unanticipated data loss, the administrator is equipped with the information to adeptly hone in on or accurately determine the cause of the situation, and launch remediation tactics accordingly.
Furthermore, by following the trajectory of the content, the flow of information is easy to orchestrate so that enterprise-critical data can be effectively safeguarded from malware pitfalls, which are due to policy blind spots or disruptions. Instead, this data can be guided smoothly into the hands of only authorized users when required.
In the event of emergencies, when data breaches do occur, File Tracing enables the administrator to immediately assess the damage and take prompt action for swift recovery. The names of the exact files that were compromised and their current locations, as well as the precise timing of the occurrence, can be pinpointed. In addition, to curb any further damage, File Tracing logs can be leveraged to gain insight to the root cause(s) of the incident, whether it's due to hardware errors or the work of malicious users.
By analyzing the device and file actions performed by each user on particular endpoints, the resources that are frequently accessed and the most common requirements for the users can be understood. This knowledge provides admins the ability to engineer strategic policies tailored to the unique functions of the enterprise. It also illuminates the strengths and weakness of existing policies, and where exactly security constraints should be reduced or augmented.
Device Control Plus completely automates the detection of file activities, and routinely provides reports comprised of essential details. Always knowing the locations of all types of important content, as well as the operations performed on them, can enable admins to exercise informed control of all network activities, not just device actions. With Device Control Plus, admins gain enhanced visibility over the organization and can optimize the time and effort it takes to secure its perimeter.
To prevent file based attacks due to unauthorized file actions, download a 30 day, free trial of Device Control Plus, and try out this feature and much more for yourself!