USB ports remain a two-way risk: malware walks in, data walks out. Device control governs what can connect by device class, vendor ID, even serial number and what connected devices may do, with encryption enforced on whatever leaves.
Governing removable media is essential for preventing data exfiltration and maintaining a resilient Zero Trust Architecture.
CoSoSys Endpoint Protector scores highest on cross-platform depth, Ivanti’s DeviceLock on Windows granularity, and DriveLock on European compliance fit. Scores below, after two ownership notes that change how you should negotiate.
Two Ownership Notes First
CoSoSys is now part of Netwrix — the acquisition closed in 2024, and Endpoint Protector continues under the Netwrix umbrella. If Netwrix is also on your privilege-management or auditing shortlist, that’s one negotiation, not two, optimizing your endpoint security best practices.
Digital Guardian is part of Fortra (as is much of the former HelpSystems security portfolio). Its device control ships inside a full DLP platform — a different purchase from a point device-control tool, and priced like it.
The 2026 Device Control Scorecard
| Rank | Tool | Control granularity (30%) | Platform coverage (25%) | DLP integration (20%) | Operability (15%) | Value (10%) | Total |
| 1 | Safetica | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8.9 |
| 2 | Ivanti (DeviceLock) | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8.1 |
| 3 | DriveLock | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8.0 |
| 4 | ManageEngine | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7.9 |
| 5 | Trellix | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7.6 |
| 6 | Broadcom (Symantec) | 8 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 7.3 |
| 7 | Forcepoint | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7.4 |
| 8 | Digital Guardian (Fortra) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 7.4 |
| 9 | Sophos | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7.6 |
| 10 | CrowdStrike Falcon Device Control | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 7.9 |
Weighted averages rounded to one decimal. Editorial assessments, not benchmark results.
How We Scored
Research-based; no lab testing claimed. Granularity (30%): device class, VID/PID, serial-level rules, read-only modes, temporary offline access. Platform coverage (25%): Windows, macOS, Linux parity. DLP integration (20%): content awareness on what’s copied, enforced encryption, shadowing. Operability (15%) and value (10%) complete it.
The Ten, Scored
1. Safetica — 8.0/10 · strong DLP-integrated device control
Why: Safetica combines device control with broader data-loss prevention (DLP) software, allowing organizations to control removable devices while also monitoring and protecting sensitive data moving through those channels.
Strengths: granular USB and peripheral controls; device blocking and allowlisting; monitoring of removable-media activity; DLP integration provides content-aware protection; suitable for organizations that want device control and data protection in one platform.
Trade-offs: broader DLP functionality can add deployment and policy complexity; less endpoint-security ecosystem depth than CrowdStrike; organizations needing highly specialized device-control features should validate platform and device coverage during a pilot.
Image ALT: Safetica device control and DLP policy management
2. Ivanti (DeviceLock) — 8.1/10 · deepest Windows granularity
Why: a perfect granularity score. DeviceLock’s two-decade heritage shows in control depth per-serial rules, read-only, time windows, clipboard and printing channels, USB-over-network that Windows-centric estates still can’t beat.
Strengths: unmatched Windows channel control including clipboard and print; serial-level device rules; shadow copies of transferred data.
Trade-offs: macOS/Linux depth trails CoSoSys; Ivanti’s presence in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog makes vendor-security due diligence mandatory.
Image ALT: DeviceLock granular USB and peripheral channel control
3. DriveLock — 8.0/10 · best European compliance fit
Why:The German specialist pairs strong device control with application control and BitLocker management, aligning with modern DSPM vs DLP data governance standards with data residency and works-council familiarity European buyers value.
Strengths: solid granularity; EU vendor and hosting; combined device plus application control; good reporting for GDPR-driven audits.
Trade-offs: smaller presence outside Europe; ecosystem narrower than the platform vendors.
Image ALT: DriveLock device control and encryption management
4. ManageEngine — 7.9/10 · best value
Why: Device Control Plus delivers the core capability class and device-level rules, file shadowing, temporary access at published pricing, integrating cleanly alongside automated patch management software with a free tier for small fleets.
Strengths: published pricing; free tier; straightforward deployment; integrates with the wider ManageEngine estate.
Trade-offs: content-aware DLP depth trails the specialists; macOS coverage thinner than Windows.
Image ALT: ManageEngine Device Control Plus policy and shadowing
5. Trellix — 7.6/10 · best inside a Trellix DLP estate
Why: Device control as part of Trellix DLP, sharing classifications and incident workflow with endpoint and network DLP coherent if Trellix is already your DLP, feeding telemetry directly into centralized enterprise SOC tools.
Strengths: unified DLP policy and evidence; mature content awareness; ePO-lineage management.
Trade-offs: heavyweight for device control alone; portfolio consolidation warrants a roadmap conversation.
Image ALT: Trellix DLP device control policy and incident workflow
6. Sophos — 7.6/10 · simplest for generalist teams
Why: Peripheral control inside Sophos Central endpoint policy the highest operability score here, because for existing Sophos customers running endpoint detection and response (EDR) it’s a checkbox, not a project.
Strengths: zero extra agent; one console; sensible defaults; good value bundled.
Trade-offs: granularity and shadowing trail the specialists; not a fit for regulated evidence-heavy programmes.
Image ALT: Sophos Central peripheral control policy
7. Forcepoint — 7.4/10 · best with behavioural DLP
Why: Device control inside Forcepoint DLP, pairing risk-adaptive enforcement that dynamically adjusts policies based on user risk with broader Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platforms.
Strengths: risk-adaptive policy; deep content classification; strong regulated-industry heritage.
Trade-offs: you’re buying a DLP platform; portfolio has been through ownership changes — confirm current structure.
Image ALT: Forcepoint DLP risk-adaptive device control
8. Digital Guardian (Fortra) — 7.4/10 · deepest DLP integration
Why: The only perfect DLP-integration score device events join a full endpoint DLP telemetry stream with forensic-grade visibility, supporting specialized threat hunting and investigation tools favoured in IP-theft-sensitive industries.
Strengths: forensic depth; strong managed-service option; cross-platform agents.
Trade-offs: platform weight and cost for device control alone; Fortra portfolio positioning worth confirming.
Image ALT: Digital Guardian endpoint DLP with device control events
9. Broadcom (Symantec) — 7.3/10 · strong tech, evaluate the commercials
Why: Symantec DLP’s device control remains technically excellent with deep content awareness, aligning with advanced endpoint threat detection standards scored down on operability and value because of Broadcom-era licensing and support-model changes many customers report.
Strengths: mature content-aware engine; proven at massive scale.
Trade-offs: commercial relationship needs as much evaluation as the product; enterprise-only orientation.
Image ALT: Symantec DLP endpoint device control policy
10. CrowdStrike Falcon Device Control — 8.0/10 · strong endpoint-native device control
Why: Falcon Device Control provides granular visibility and policy enforcement for removable media, allowing security teams to identify devices and control how they interact with endpoints without deploying a separate device-control platform.
Strengths: strong USB and removable-media visibility; policies can use device attributes such as vendor, product, model, and serial number; read-only and blocked modes; integrates directly with the Falcon endpoint platform; useful for organizations already standardized on CrowdStrike.
Trade-offs: delivers the most value within the Falcon ecosystem; broader DLP and content-inspection capabilities require additional CrowdStrike capabilities; less focused on cross-platform device-control specialization than dedicated products such as Safetica.
Image ALT: CrowdStrike Falcon Device Control removable media policy and device visibility
Buyer’s Guide
Decide if you’re buying device control or DLP. Blocking and allowing devices is one product; inspecting content as it moves is another. The DLP-integrated options cost multiples more pay it only if content awareness is a requirement.
Insist on serial-level allowlisting plus enforced encryption. “Block all USB except these specific serial numbers, and encrypt whatever’s written to them” is the policy most regulated environments actually need.
Test temporary access offline. A field engineer needs a USB drive at a site with no connectivity: what’s the workflow? Code-based temporary access separates usable tools from shelfware.
Don’t forget the other channels. Clipboard, printing, Bluetooth, and mobile tethering leak data the same way USB does — the deeper tools govern them; the checkbox tools don’t.
OT note: transient USB devices remain a primary infection path into industrial networks. For OT environments, pair endpoint device control with scanning-kiosk approaches at the boundary and see our network sandboxing coverage of OPSWAT-style content disarm.
Common mistakes: blocking everything with no exception workflow (users find personal cloud instead); ignoring shadow copies so investigations have no evidence; and forgetting that device control without endpoint encryption still loses laptops.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is device control software?
Device control governs which peripherals — USB storage, phones, printers, Bluetooth devices may connect to endpoints and what they may do, using rules from device class down to individual serial numbers, with options like read-only access, enforced encryption, file shadowing, and temporary offline approval.
What is the best device control tool in 2026?
CoSoSys Endpoint Protector (now Netwrix) leads on genuine Windows/macOS/Linux parity with enforced encryption. Ivanti DeviceLock is deepest on Windows channel control, DriveLock the strongest European option, ManageEngine the best value, and Digital Guardian the pick when full DLP-grade content awareness is required.
Can’t I just block USB in Group Policy or Intune?
You can block storage classes free, and for some environments that’s enough. What you don’t get: serial-level allowlisting, enforced encryption, shadow copies, temporary offline access, content awareness, or clean reporting — which is exactly the gap the paid tools fill.
Does device control stop data theft?
It closes the removable-media channel and, with content awareness, inspects what’s copied. Determined insiders move to cloud uploads, email, or photography so treat device control as one channel in a broader data protection posture, not the whole answer.
Do Macs and Linux need device control?
Yes, and this is where products differ most. Creative, engineering, and developer estates are heavily macOS/Linux, and only a few vendors — CoSoSys most notably — deliver real parity there. Test on your actual platforms.
How much does device control cost?
Point tools run per endpoint per year with ManageEngine publishing accessible pricing; DLP-integrated options (Digital Guardian, Forcepoint, Symantec, Trellix) price as DLP platforms at several times more. Free OS-level blocking covers the crudest cases.
Bottom Line
CoSoSys Endpoint Protector is the strongest general answer, especially in mixed-platform estates — just have the Netwrix roadmap conversation. DeviceLock wins Windows-only depth, DriveLock the European compliance brief, and ManageEngine the budget.
Buy the DLP-integrated options only when content awareness is genuinely required, enforce encryption on whatever you allow, and build the offline exception workflow before someone in the field discovers you didn’t.
Related reading on Cyber Security News:
• Top 10 Best Endpoint Encryption Software
• Top 10 Best Application Control & Allowlisting Tools
• Top 10 Best Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM) Tools
• Top 10 Best Antivirus (Endpoint Protection) Software for Business
• Top 10 Best Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) Solutions
• Top 10 Best Secure Web Gateway (SWG) Solutions
• Top 10 Best Network Sandboxing Solutions
• Top 10 Best Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) Solutions
• Top 10 Best Ransomware Protection Solutions
• Top 10 Best Server Security Solutions
• 10 Best Network Security Solutions for Enterprise
The post Top 10 Best Device Control & USB Security Tools in 2026 appeared first on Cyber Security News.