DeviceLock adds content filtering in next release

DeviceLock already lets firms control employee use of plug-and-play storage

DeviceLock is preparing a new version of its data leak prevention tool that will extend protection to cover network connections as well as USB ports, and use content filtering to stop sensitive information leaving the endpoint.

DeviceLock 7 is set to be released as a public beta during the Infosec Europe show at the end of April, with a full release expected sometime in the third quarter, according to the firm.

The new version is being made available as a public beta so that the company can get feedback from customers before the finished product is ready.

The suite can control user access to USB, FireWire and many other plug-and-play devices to prevent company files being copied, but DeviceLock 7 extends control to the most common network protocols in order to detect files being sent via email and instant messaging, or even social networks.

With DeviceLock 7, "all possible data channels will be controlled", according to the firm's business development manager for EMEA, Alexei Lesnykh.

The tool uses kernel-level drivers to intercept content when an application makes a system call to send anything over the network, he explained. This allows DeviceLock to examine content before it is encrypted for transmission across the internet, making it a more effective solution than deploying data leak prevention tools at the internet gateway.

Lesnykh said that DeviceLock's content processing engine can detect the type of data inside a file, whether it is a PDF or a Word document for example, and examine the content to determine whether it should be blocked according to policy rules set by the organisation.

"Admins will be able to use syntax and semantics to configure rules," said Lesnykh, but DeviceLock will also include pre-configured 'dictionaries' for specific industries, such as finance, so that the job of creating filters does not have to be done from scratch.

DeviceLock 7 will also integrate with the BitLocker To Go encryption tool in the Windows 7 Enterprise edition, enabling firms to enforce encryption on removable storage.

The new version will "position DeviceLock as the best endpoint security product in terms of price/performance", according to Lesnykh, but exact price details have yet to be disclosed.