When we use USB ports, regardless of the type of device we use, we can find risks that compromise our security. Therefore, we must take precautions and not make mistakes. Currently, the USB devices that we use the most to share and save information are hard drives and also USB memories, known as pendrives. In some cases, these devices can infect our laptop or PC with malware, a Trojan, a virus, and more. In this tutorial you are going to learn how to protect yourself from infections that are harmful to our computers, by limiting USB access to the computer by controlling access to the devices with a series of programs.
Now we are going to briefly explain how we can get infected through a USB device, and some little tips to avoid it.
The danger of USB and tips to avoid risks
Using a USB memory or USB hard disk is very common, although it must be recognized that the former are used more. We can use them to transfer files from one computer to another, share information with other users, go to a copy shop to print documents or carry personal or work documents. However, even if we have our computer protected, simply by plugging in a USB memory it can happen that our computer can be infected with malware, a virus or a Trojan. In that sense, it must be borne in mind that this type of device can go through many computers.
The infection occurs when a file called Autorun.inf contains malicious code. This type of file is legitimate and many of you will have seen it on a CD or DVD so that it executes a menu when inserted. The problem is that when it contains malicious software, the file runs automatically without user permission, and copies a malware-laden executable to a hidden directory on the system and runs in the background. Once executed, malware tends to create replicas of itself throughout the computer, which makes it very difficult to disinfect the computer once it is infected. In addition, they are configured to infect any USB stick that we introduce to the computer, in order to continue infecting new computers.
Therefore, one way to defend yourself against this malicious software is to use USB execution blockers to limit USB access to your computer. Thus, only the USB sticks that we want can be executed with our permission.
Some tips that can help us improve our security are:
- Avoid using unsafe equipment , for example, public computers where many people pass daily.
- Use several USB memories , dedicate a pendrive for when, for example, we have to print a document in a store.
- Encrypt memories and files , especially confidential and personal files. This can also be useful to us in case of loss.
Next, we will see a series of tools to control the USB ports of our computers.
Removable Access tool
Removable Access Tool also known as Ratool is a free, portable and easy-to-use program that helps in controlling external storage devices such as:
- USB sticks,
- CD / DVD drives and floppy disks.
- WPD tapes and devices.
Thanks to this program, we can limit USB access to the computer by disabling access to USB storage or enabling write protection to prevent our data from being modified. If you want to try Ratool you can do it from the Sordum team website using the following link. It supports from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and has versions for 32 bits and 64 bits. This is the main screen of the program:
With Removable Access Tool we can easily limit USB access to the computer. In this case, it has 3 operating options:
- Default mode : allows USB reading and writing.
- Read-only mode : allows only reading from the USB memory, but the system cannot write anything to it. It is a good solution when we have an infected computer and we want to avoid the infection of our USB memory.
- USB lock : does not allow the detection of USB memories on the computer.
It also allows blocking the USB connection of a smartphone. To do this, we would go to Options , WPD Devices and click on Block devices.
In the Settings menu, we can also set a password to prevent unauthorized changes.
Finally, it should be noted that you can change to different languages including Spanish and in the Options menu we can choose to block or unlock removable drives allowing or denying access to them or disabling automatic execution.
SysTools USB Blocker
SysTools USB Blocker works on any version of Windows, such as Windows 10, 8, 8.1 and 7. It is a USB blocking tool that can limit USB access to your computer. Once launched, it allows us to:
- Block all USB ports on any computer.
- Computer username and password are required to block or unblock ports.
- Lost user password recovery via email address
- Set a new password for locking and unlocking the USB ports.
This is the main screen of SysTools USB Blocker :
In this case, it should be noted that we have a 7-day demo version, and then, if we are interested, we will have to choose to buy the program. You can download this tool from here .
NetSoftwares USB Block
With USB Block from NetSoftwares we can prevent data leaks by restricting USB drives, external devices, network computers and the ports of our PC. In addition, it allows you to whitelist your own portable drives and block the rest.
If you want to download USB Block you can do it from its official website . This program offers us:
- Protect our confidential files against theft.
- Authorize trusted USB devices and drives that we can add to a white list.
- Monitoring of hacks and incorrect password attempts.
This is the main screen of the USB Block:
One thing to note is that if we want to use this software without trial reminders or limitations, we must buy the full version.
Netwrix Auditor
Netwrix Auditor, in addition to limiting USB access to the computer, offers more functionalities. In that sense, it offers additional features for IT professionals who must balance legitimate business need with the use of USB storage devices while maintaining robust security.
In this case we have a version with a 20-day trial that you can download from this link . Some of its functions are:
- Strengthen security by keeping us abreast of critical user activity. An example is changes to access permissions or USB control settings in group policy.
- Minimize the risk of data loss by detecting and remediating internal and external threats with alerts.
- Detection of potentially harmful files in shared files.
USBDeview
USBDeview is a free little utility from NirSoft that lists all the USB devices that are currently connected to your computer and the USB devices that you previously used. This is the main screen of the program:
If you want to try the program you can do it from the following link . Also, for each USB device it shows extended information with name, description, device type, serial number and more. USBDeview will also allow us to uninstall the USB devices that we used previously, disconnect the USB devices that are currently connected to our computer and as well as disable and enable the USB devices.
As you have seen, to limit USB access to the computer we can use all this software for Windows computers.
