USB key picture

Housing trust identifies USB pen drives as security threat

Midlands home provider guards against external drives

Written by James Brown

Wrekin housing trust, one of the largest providers in of homes in the Midlands, is using security software to combat the threat from portable devices like USB pen drives and iPods.

The system is being deployed to the trust 450 PCs and laptops, and will prevent sensitive data from being removed from the machines and enforce its policies on removable media use.

It will also prevent the external drives from spreading viruses onto Wrekin's network and be user specific, allowing the use of different devices based on job role, allowing access only to approved kit. 

Wrekin has over 12,000 houses on its books and carries a lot of confidential data about people, says its desktop and server resource specialist, Rick Korsak.

'The rise of gadgets in the office meant this data could be easily stolen or damaged without us being any the wiser,' he said.

'DeviceWall provides instant visibility of every device that’s connected to our network within an easy to use interface.'

What do you think? Email us at feedback@computing.co.uk

  • Have your say
  • Send to a friend
  • Print this
  • Share

Tags:

reader comments

related articles

 

New reports debunk wind energy myths

Two new studies show the grid can cope with wind variability and micro-wind turbines can deliver significant carbon savings 09 Jul 2009

Top 10 dangerous technologies

Useful tools with a potential for disaster 09 May 2009

US Congress inquiry reveals fake letters from "voters" opposed to climate bill

Bonner & Associates, lobbyists hired to campaign against climate change bill, admit letters sent by sacked employee 20 Aug 2009

related whitepapers

today's top stories

Telepresence: coming to a screen near you?

Telepresence systems enable organisations to hold boardroom-style meetings with far-flung participants without the hassle and expense of arranging travel and accommodation. But while the technology is impressive, it does not come cheap, as Martin Courtney discovered when he sat in on a virtual meeting with executives from Philips 10 Mar 2010

Users give their verdict on Azure

Some of the first wave of UK adopters met in London recently to air their views on Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. Dave Bailey listened in 10 Mar 2010

Protests greet new Digital Economy Bill amendment

ISPs, digital rights groups and Liberal Democrat supporters cry foul 05 Mar 2010

Publishing special - Publishers innovate to survive

1) IT could hold the key to the future of publishing 2) Case Study: The Guardian harnesses social and mobile apps 3) How publishers are reacting to the iPad 02 Mar 2010

IT Leaders' Forum in association with IBM

A unique opportunity to hear from expert speakers and engage in a debate about the future of the CIO job function 29 Jan 2010

Advertisement

Keys to successful Service‐Oriented Architecture implementation

This white paper explores best practices and general design patterns for service oriented architecture (SOA).

The Roadmap to IT Maturity — Matching Strategy to Infrastructure for Business Success

This paper defines a roadmap for matching infrastructure strategy to business success.

Advertisement

Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies; ITHound.com brings you over 6,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.

Advertisement

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

More available - click 'submit' to view

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Jobs

Related jobs

Job of the week

Job alerts

Sign up here

Find your next job

IT Salary Checker

Check salary here

Advertisement

Latest poll

NHS centralised data

NHS centralised data

Do you think the NHS can be trusted to safely look after personal data electronically?

View poll results

Latest audio and video articles

Video

HP unveils S Series notebooks

'Prosumer' line overhauled 01 Mar 2010

Web Seminar Listings

Preparing for enterprise-scale Windows 7 migration

The web seminar on 18 Feb will discuss how Windows 7 migration can increase IT efficiency in large enterprises, freeing up budgetary and personnel resources to focus on business innovation. Our panel of experts will examine the strategies, tools and services IT leaders can use to migrate successfully and reap the rewards of increased efficiency. 19 Feb 2010

Latest in-depth articles

LaboratoryFeatures

Finding the right formula

Drug and food testing company Eclipse Scientific wanted to make its internal communications system easier to manage and more responsive to the needs of employees and customers. Nicola Brittain reports 16 Mar 2010

Videoconference on a laptopFeatures

Get ready to roll

Moving staff over to a unified communications platform can have a huge impact on their working practices. Rachel Fielding explains how IT leaders can ensure the transition goes smoothly 16 Mar 2010

Primary Navigation