DoD Can Use USB Securely

Back in October, I wrote about the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)’s expected guidelines for the use of USB thumb drives following the ban of the removable storage devices. In 2008, DoD temporarily banned the use of thumb drives and other removable storage devices because virus, worms and malware were uploaded into their network. Today, there is discussion about the ban being lifted. Recently I spoke with Government Computer News about what a potential lift of the ban may mean for DoD as well as the industry.   
McAfee—which currently provides comprehensive host system technology for 7 million DoD assets under the HBSS program— and DoD have prepared for the day the ban on USB drives would be lifted. McAfee Device Control with McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) management, which provides the ability to closely control USB drives at an enterprise,  was added to HBSS in anticipation of the day when DoD would issue its new guidelines for USB use.
You see, McAfee’s unique approach is to understand and adapt to user behavior, apply physical controls, and leverage knowledge about data and tasks in order to create a “safety net” for users while keeping them productive. Our approach to USB use by DoD is no different.  With McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator® (ePO™), we enable DoD to track and manage devices agency-wide, coach users (continue reading...)