GFI Adds Deeper Control of USB, iPod

RALIEGH, N.C. -- GFI Software, an international developer of network security, content security and messaging software, announced today the release of the latest version of GFI EndPointSecurity, a solution that helps to control the use of portable storage devices – such as iPods, flash drives, USB sticks, and PDAs – on the network and prevent the leakage or theft of sensitive data. The latest version of GFI EndpointSecurity comes with advanced access control functionality and a whitelist/blacklist feature to limit usage of portable devices to those only approved by the company.

GFI EndPointSecurity 4 gives administrators comprehensive control over the use of portable storage devices such as USB sticks, CDs, floppies, smartphones, MP3 players, handhelds, iPods, digital cameras, and so on, to prevent situations that could lead to security breaches, data theft, and viruses and other malware being uploaded to the company’s network.

The new version ships with a number of new and improved features including advanced access control that allows the blocking of a range of device classes, as well as blocking files transfers by file extension, by physical port, and by device ID. Administrators can also use a device whitelist and blacklist to allow only company-approved devices and block all others. Furthermore, temporary access can be granted to users for a device (or group of devices) on a particular computer for a particular timeframe.

Large capacity devices

The capacity of portable storage devices has increased so much that it is possible to copy entire databases within a few minutes. There are dozens of examples of security breaches due to the negligent or malicious use of endpoint devices in companies. Earlier this year, for example, a former Boeing employee was accused of stealing 320,000 files and leaking them to a newspaper. He copied the sensitive information to a portable drive during a period from 2004 to 2006, breaching Boeing’s security policies. The firm calculated that the potential damage could cost between $5 and $15 billion.

GFI and other security companies continue to insist how vital it is that a company’s IT administrators know exactly what devices are on the network and the threat they pose. Unfortunately, many businesses are unaware of or ignore the threat until something actually happens. According to research conducted by eMedia on behalf of GFI Software in the United States, only seven percent of 455 small and medium-sized businesses consider portable storage devices to be the greatest threat while less than 20 percent said they had implemented some endpoint security solution.

“The proliferation of consumer devices has increased the risk of data leakage and malicious activity on networks. At GFI we are striving to create more awareness on this issue and our goal with GFI EndPointSecurity 4 is to help administrators reduce the level of risk,” Andre Muscat, director of engineering at GFI, said.

GFI Software Ltd.