Blocking CDs, DVDs, Flash Drives, and External Hard Disks in windows 8 or 8.1

Blocking CDs, DVDs, Flash Drives, and External Hard Disks


One of the biggest security problems—certainly one of the biggest in the corporate
space—is the use of external flash drives, CDs, DVDs, and external hard disks. If not carefully
vetted, these media can transfer viruses and other malware to a computer or be used
to steal information. This is because although computer equipment within an organization
can be controlled by using group and security policies, external hardware, especially personal
flash drives, is not subject to the same rules and could also be used on a third-party
or home computer with little or no virus and malware protection. You can use Group Policy
Editor to deny access to these devices for specific users or for everyone.
To access the Removable Storage Access settings in the Group Policy Editor (see Figure below),
click Computer Configuration, click User Configuration, and then click Administrative Templatesand System.