Faronics Device Filter empowers IT administrators with the ability to block peripheral devices from connecting to desktop computers. Any peripheral device—such as an iPod, USB drive, Bluetooth phone, or digital camera—can be managed to prevent unauthorized data transfers or connections from taking place. IT personnel are able to assign permanent, temporary, or one-time-only authorizations to devices, and can also assign constraints to filter devices or network connections based on capacity. With the ability to generate usage reports, Device Filter allows system administrators to monitor the network-wide device connections and file transfers that have taken place.
Unregulated device connectivity can cause a multitude of classroom security and productivity challenges. Never before have computers had so many connectivity options, portable storage devices been so cheap, and data transfer rates been so fast. All these factors combine to present a serious challenge to IT and instructor efforts to keep classroom computers running and student productivity high.

Portable drives represent a way by which students can bring distractions—such as games, portable applications, and music—into the classroom. For IT personnel, the primary consequence of allowing peripheral devices to connect to public-access computers is that it becomes a conduit by which malicious software can spread. Students can quickly cause accidental or malicious network havoc by plugging infected devices into multiple workstations across several computer labs.

Protect Against Distractions

By preventing students from being able to access their peripherals via classroom computers, Device Filter helps eliminate classroom distractions—such as games on USB Drives, music from iPods, and pictures from digital cameras. Device Filter also allows schools to balance security with flexibility—instructors are able to authorize permanent, temporary, or one-time-only authorizations to devices so that students can open or save their work using a portable device if required.

Prevent Malicious Uploading

One of the consequences of the cheap and popular nature of portable storage is that it becomes a conduit for malicious software. As soon as an employee or visitor connects a portable drive to a corporate computer, they run the risk—whether it is accidental or intentional—of infecting network systems with any malicious software on the drive. Device Filter protects against this threat by blocking all unauthorized data connections from taking place.