ScriptLogic gives control over USB keys

Desktop Authority 7.5 could cut data leaks by asserting central control over removable storage

Admin tools firm ScriptLogic will today update its desktop management suite, adding new tools to control USB devices on client PCs and make it easier to deploy apps.

Desktop Authority 7.5 adds improvements including an optional USB and Port Security module, point-and-click deployment of applications across the network, and scheduled configuration refreshes to ensure clients get vital security updates as soon as possible.

“We’ve made it ‘point-click-done’, so you don’t need to hire a consultant,” said Jon Rolls, director of product management at ScriptLogic. The major new feature is USB and Port Security, which enables a policy-based lockdown of removable storage. This gives users the rights to use specific devices, and alerts can be raised if anyone tries to connect an unauthorised device.

Refresh Events allows changes to be applied during the day, rather than at log-on or shutdown. Clients can be configured to “phone home” to the central server hourly to check for changes, Rolls said.

Desktop Authority also has Validation Logic, which lets IT staff apply settings to specific assets or groups of users. This is more flexible and easier to use than Group Policy settings in Active Directory, according to Rolls. In October, ScriptLogic will round out the suite with Image Center, a tool to handle initial provisioning of new PCs.

Desktop Authority costs £24.70 per seat. The USB and Port Security, Spyware Removal and Patch Deployment modules are bolt-on extras, each priced at £6.50 per user.