- Device control is a narrower, more focused category than full DLP or full UEM — it's specifically about governing what peripherals (USB, external drives, Bluetooth, printers) can connect and what they can do
- Policies typically range from full block to read-only to size/file-type-restricted access, applied per user, group, or device class
- File access auditing (what was actually copied, by whom, when) is often as important as the block/allow decision itself for incident investigation
The Gap Firewalls and Antivirus Don't Cover
Most endpoint security spend goes toward keeping malicious things out — firewalls, antivirus, EDR. Device control solves a different problem: keeping legitimate data from walking out the door on a USB drive, an external hard disk, or over Bluetooth, whether that's a departing employee taking a customer list or an innocent mistake copying sensitive files to an unencrypted personal drive. It's also a common, specific requirement in compliance frameworks (PCI-DSS, HIPAA) that call out removable media as a named risk.
ManageEngine Device Control Plus is a focused tool in this category — it controls and audits USB, external storage, Bluetooth, and other peripheral access, rather than being a full endpoint management or full-DLP suite that happens to include device control as one module among many.
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ManageEngine Device Control Plus
Who It's For
IT and security teams that specifically need to control and audit removable-media and peripheral access — often driven by a compliance requirement or a past data-loss incident — without buying a full DLP suite (content inspection, email/cloud-upload scanning) or a full UEM platform they don't otherwise need. If you already run a UEM platform like Endpoint Central with device control as a built-in module, or a full DLP suite, a standalone tool like this may be redundant rather than additive.
How It Compares
ManageEngine Device Control Plus
Focused specifically on peripheral/USB device control: block, allow, or restrict to read-only by device class, user, or group, plus file-copy auditing and file-shadowing (keeping a copy of what was transferred, for investigation). Priced and scoped as a point solution, which makes it a lighter, more affordable pickup than a full DLP suite when device control is genuinely the specific gap you're closing.
Endpoint Protector by CoSoSys
A well-established, cross-platform (Windows/macOS/Linux) device control and DLP vendor with strong content-aware filtering (blocking transfers based on file content, not just device type). More full-featured on the content-inspection side than a device-control-only tool, at a correspondingly higher price and setup complexity.
DriveLock
A European (German) vendor strong in regulated industries, combining device control with broader endpoint hardening (application control, encryption) in one platform. Worth a look if you want device control bundled with wider endpoint-hardening features rather than as a standalone point tool.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (device control feature)
If you're already licensed for Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 (via Microsoft 365 E5 or an add-on), its built-in device control policies cover basic USB/removable-media blocking without a separate tool. The tradeoff: less granular policy flexibility and weaker audit/reporting depth than a dedicated device control product, and it only helps if you're already paying for the Defender tier that includes it.
| Tool | Best fit | Content-aware filtering |
|---|---|---|
| Device Control Plus | Point solution for device control specifically | Basic |
| Endpoint Protector | Want device control + deeper DLP content inspection | Strong |
| DriveLock | Device control bundled with endpoint hardening | Moderate |
| Defender for Endpoint | Already on Defender Plan 2, basic USB blocking is enough | Basic |
Bottom Line
- Need a focused, affordable device control tool without buying a full DLP suite? Device Control Plus fits that gap directly.
- Need content-aware filtering (blocking based on what's in the file, not just the device type)? Endpoint Protector goes further.
- Want device control bundled with broader endpoint hardening in one platform? DriveLock covers both.
- Already paying for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 and just need basic USB blocking? Start with what you already have before adding a new tool.