USB Monitor Software: 7 Best Picks for 2023

Srujana Maddula Updated 2 weeks ago Development & IT No Comments

External storage devices like USBs offer seamless and portable data transfers. However, hackers often consider unrestricted USB ports as a prime opportunity to hack your device or inject some virus. Does your computer have private data, and you worry about its security? or Do you doubt the performance of your USB devices? You should look for USB monitor software that balances the security of your data and USB performance.

Also, the USB monitor software lets you manage activities performed through the USB port, like data transfers, scanning files in the external device, and storage access permissions. Moreover, USB power monitor software exist to ensure the power delivery is efficient and reliable. Here’s the list of the best USB monitor software we picked for you.

Best USB Monitoring Tools

Software	Best for	Top Features
1. ManageEngine’s Device Control Plus	Data Protection	Role-based access control, monitors hack attempts, Suits for wide range of industries, Configurable audit settings
2. Endpoint Protector	Locking, controlling and monitoring USB ports	Granular control of your USB devices, remotely monitors USB via its web interface, Cross-platform, lightweight software, USB serial port monitor
3. Ivanti Device Control	Thin-client and Virtualized endpoints	Strict data copy restrictions, File shadowing capabilities, Centralized management
4. ThreatLocker Storage Control	Customizable security policies	Administrator can define access control permissions, Detailed audit, Simple access requests
5. USBTrace	USB protocol analyzer	Continuous session capturing, Customizable XML templates to decode USB requests, Search, filter, trigger, and export captured data.
6. USBDeview	Individuals and small scale businesses	Open source, Logs the history of connected devices, Available in multiple global languages.
7. USB Monitor Pro	USB traffic analyzer	Built-in search engine, Displays only necessary data captures, Automatic filtering capabilities, Portable software.

1. Device Control Plus – Best USB monitor tool overall

Supported OS: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS

Developer: ManageEngine

License: Paid, Free (trial period)

Fifty-two percent of the last year’s security threats occurred through exploiting USBs, leaving hasty usage of external devices a serious concern. But, using a USB monitor software can help you mitigate the risk.

Gain full control over the removal devices like USB with ManageEngine’s Device Control Plus. The tool allows you to block USB and other external devices from unauthorized access to your private data.

With this dedicated tool, you get to learn what actions are performed with your data and limit unnecessary modifications to the sensitive data. The tool maintains a list of trusted devices and restricts all other unauthorized devices from data access.

This advanced USB port monitor can immediately detect entries of all the external devices and analyze them to identify any suspicious behavior and proactively prevents malware attacks.

Several external devices including keyboards, mice, apple devices, printers, and modems are supported by this tool. This is the overall best software for USB monitoring.

Pros:

Immediate detection of inserted devices.
Role-based access control.
Eliminates security breaches.
Trusted by leading brands.
Configurable audit settings.

Cons:

Supports limited removable devices for macOS.

Download ManageEngine’s Device Control Plus

2. Endpoint Protector – Best USB port monitor software to gain control of your USB devices

Supported OS: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS

Developer: CoSoSys

License: Paid

Protect yourself from data theft and data loss with Endpoint Protector as it monitors and controls USB and other peripheral ports to enhance security.

This USB monitor software provides you with details like which port is in use, what type of device is connected to the port, and how much data is being transferred through the specific endpoint. Also, the software alerts you on activities carried out at each unique port.

To ensure security, Endpoint Protector’s device control feature allows only trusted devices to access the endpoint and blocks suspicious data transfers. With this feature, businesses can integrate role-based access into their environment, thus keeping sensitive data out of reach from USB malware attacks.

Pros:

Enables granular control over connected USB devices.
Remotely monitors USB via its web interface.
Role-based access to the endpoints.
Cross-platform and lightweight software.
Supports majority types of USB drives.

Cons:

Need improvement in the user interface.

Download Endpoint Protector

3. Ivanti Device Control – Best for thin-client and virtualized endpoints

Supported OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Developer: Ivanti

License: Paid

Ivanti Device Control software is equipped with advanced monitoring features including forced encryption, scalable infrastructure, and shadowing capabilities.

The tool’s file shadowing feature creates copies of the files accessed via the endpoint, while the actions performed on the original files are also reflected in the copies. This allows you to track activities performed on a specific port.

You don’t need to write any data scripts to analyze trends in endpoint activities. Ivanti’s device control software does it for you and reports with actionable insights that enhance security and optimize data transfers.

Centralized device management feature of this tool allows your business to monitor the entire workstation via a single network.

Pros:

Strict data copy restrictions.
Secure and scalable architecture.
Enables Centralized management.
File shadowing capabilities.

Cons:

Doesn’t support outdated models of external devices.

Download Ivanti Device Control

4. ThreatLocker Storage Control – Best to take control of your Organization’s security

Supported OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Developer: ThreatLocker

License: Paid

ThreatLocker storage control is a data loss prevention and USB port security solution that allows only approved devices to access data and blocks everything else.

The tool allows you to customize the access permissions of your data. For instance, you can easily deny access to the entire hard drive or block access to a few selected files, the choice is yours.

The tool’s perfect audit system lets you know the details of connected storage devices and the actions performed on the endpoint. With this feature, you can uniquely identify each storage device’s behavior seamlessly.

Pros:

A detailed audit of files accessed on USB.
Granular access configuration.
Simple access requests for the storage devices.
Access permission controls are given to the administrator.

Cons:

Available only for Windows OS.

Download ThreatLocker Storage Control

5. USBTrace – Best USB monitor program for Windows

Supported OS: Windows OS

Developer: SysNucleus

License: Paid

Specially designed USB monitor software for Windows OS to analyze data transfers between your machine and external devices. The tool displays all the ongoing activities of connected USB devices.

The USB monitor software provides you with a detailed performance analysis of any device you inserted. On top of that, it logs the captures of all the USB requests exchanged per session. You can effortlessly search, filter, trigger, and export this captured data to detect potential threats.

USBTrace is popular among well-known brands like Intel, Microsoft, Sony, Dell, HP, and Samsung.

Pros:

Easy-to-use USB protocol analyzer.
Displays detailed information about USB devices.
Non-stop captures of sessions.
Search/filter/trigger and export functionalities for captured data.
Customizable XML templates to decode USB requests.
Export the captured data into your favorite format.

Cons:

Performance issue for large USB traffic.

Download USBTrace

6. USBDeview – Best USB monitor software for Individuals and small-scale businesses

Supported OS: Windows OS

Developer: NirSoft

License: Free

If you are an individual looking for an open-source USB monitoring tool, USBDeview is the ideal one for you. In addition to providing you with a list of live USB-connected devices, it also maintains the history of all previously connected devices.

This USB port monitor Windows application equips you with in-depth details of connected USB devices, including the type of device connected, the id of the specific port to which the device is connected, the data accessed by USB, the duration of the connection, etc.,

USBDeview is a lightweight, portable software that doesn’t demand you to install it on your desktop only. You can run this executable file on any external device whenever you need.

Pros:

Lightweight and portable.
Open source, meaning free to use.
Provides you detailed reports of connected USBs.
Logs the history of devices connected in the past.
Customizable software.

Cons:

Supports only Windows OS.
Can export the data only to HTML.

Download USBDeview

7. USB Monitor Pro – Best USB Traffic Analyzer

Supported OS: Windows OS

Developer: FabulaTech

License: Paid

This monitoring software is a pro in real-time monitoring of outgoing and incoming data through endpoints to optimize USB data transfers. The tool monitors multiple connected devices simultaneously which boosts productivity.

USB Monitor Pro not only captures USB devices’ activity but also automatically hides surplus data to display only necessary information.

This USB monitor software provides a built-in search engine that accurately retrieves the desired information.

The free version is available for 15 days with limitations however, you can get a 1-year subscription for $199.

If you haven’t deployed any USB monitor program before, you can still consider this tool as it provides a detailed user manual that covers everything from installing the software to contract termination.

Pros:

Gathers detailed information about each USB device.
Displays only necessary data captures.
Built-in search engine with automatic filtering capabilities.
Switches between income and outgoing data packets seamlessly.
Monitors multiple USB devices.

Cons:

Limited features in a 15-day free trial too.
Supports only Windows OS.

Download USB Monitor Pro

How do I monitor data on a USB port?

From connecting your computer to your printer to power transfers, USB ports are used. These endpoints are the major source of data transfers between applications, devices, and networks. Thus, you should monitor the data accessed over USB ports to stay safe.

Monitoring data on a USB port includes access permissions, speed of data transfers, type of device connected to the port, and scanning for malware. Performing these tasks manually is tiresome, therefore you can use reliable USB monitor software that monitors your USB ports.

What is a USB sniffer?

USB sniffer is a software or tool that monitors the USB ports of your machine. The tool is primarily designed for USB port traffic monitoring and analysis. Basically, it is a tool that monitors data transfers via USB ports.

Can Wireshark sniff USB?

Yes, Wireshark can definitely sniff USB but you need a proper hardware device and drives installed for doing this. The best thing about Wireshark is, it works for multiple major operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Conclusion

Any laptop or computer comes with USB ports these days and individuals to businesses use them to extend their computing capabilities. If you are among them and want to leverage your USB ports securely? Then this article should help you find the best USB monitor software to enhance security and data transfers.

Comment down on the software you chose!