Despite all the headlines these last two years about corporate data breaches that are caused by poor or non-existent endpoint protection, you might still be wondering if a simple port lock – whether USB, HDMI, fiber optic, or otherwise – can fortify your network security efforts.

In a word, yes. However, before we provide our reasoning as to how USB port locks can strengthen your endpoint security protection, let’s first put forth some valuable information.

6 Data Points to Consider

  1. The Ponemon Institute’s “2022 Cost of Insider Threat’s Report” found that negligent insiders are the most common cause of a data breach and account for 62% of all incidents.
  2. “A Triple Threat Across the Americas: 2022 KPMG Fraud Outlook” reported that a “significant 31% of respondents say their companies have suffered from fraud perpetrated by an insider in the past year.”
  3. According to Cybersecurity Insiders “2022 Insider Threat Report,” 57% of organizations feel insider incidents have become more frequent over the past 12 months.
  4. The 2022 Ponemon Cost of Insider Threats Global Report found that 56% of inside jobs were caused by employee or contractor negligence – at an average cost of $484,931 per incident.
  5. The 2022 Honeywell Industrial Cybersecurity USB Threat Report indicates that 52% of cybersecurity threats were specifically designed to use removable media, up from 32% in 2021 and more than double the 19% reported in the 2020 study.
  6. The Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report found the “human element” was a “key driver” in 82% of data breaches.

What it All Means

No matter where you turn for confirmation, the data is consistent: Every organization is at risk of a data breach caused by its own employees and contractors. The question is not, “will a data breach occur,” but “when will a data breach occur.” Add to this soup pot the mass turnover occurring in America because of The Great Resignation, and you have a recipe for a data breach, especially when considering the recent Code42 Data Exposure Report.

“63% of employees say they brought data with them from their previous employer to their current employer,” wrote the report’s authors. “Sometimes recruiters take org charts and salary information. Engineers might take source code. Sales reps may nab customer lists. And more than half the time, these employees are leaving for a competitor. This was already a growing problem, with people changing jobs more frequently than ever. Now, record unemployment levels, economic uncertainty, and the seeming privacy of working from home are creating a perfect storm for departing employee insider risk.”

Back to Those USB Port Locks

Hopefully, by now, the case for port locks is clear. To put in plainly, to defend against data loss associated with removable media, the easiest and simplest strategy is to physically block your computer and network ports with port locks. These nifty little devices cost a couple bucks each and are the cheapest insurance policy you can buy to protect yourself from an intentional or unintentional data breach, including employees who accidentally lose USB flash drives and other portable media after downloading sensitive company files.

USB port locks, HDMI port locks, fiber optic port locks, network module locks, LAN cable locks, and secure USB hubs for your attached USB devices will ensure that USB flash drives, external hard drives, smart phones, high-speed data cables, and anything else you can imagine will never be connected to your computers and/or your network.

So, can a port lock really protect your network? In a word, yes.