On installation, the product asked me to allow or block several memory-card-reader slots and the system's FireWire adapter. Normally you'll get a message about built-in devices such as these only when you first install the product. Blocking these would have completely disabled the computer's ability to read memory cards and connect with FireWire devices, so I allowed them, then plugged in every compatible gadget I could find. In almost every case, SPP asked whether to allow or block access, and it correctly remembered what to do when I plugged in the same device again. The only quirk involved two physically identical thumb drives that once held press releases. Blocking one blocked both, and allowing one allowed both, because SPP identifies a device by its vendor ID, product ID, and serial number. These two drives had the same vendor and product—and no serial numbers. But since the current USB Mass Storage Class Bulk-Only Transport specification requires a serial number, this problem should come up only with older devices, and even then, they'd have to be otherwise identical.

Just to see what would happen, I slotted in the SD Card from a camera. As you'd expect, SPP didn't complain, because I'd already told it to allow access for the card reader itself. I then tried to block the card reader, but I couldn't. The management console doesn't offer any kind of per-device configuration adjustment, just a Factory Settings button that clears the settings for all remembered devices. But the company designed SPP to protect removable items, and for those, this isn't a serious issue. I'd like to see a list of controlled devices and be able to configure them individually, but you can change the settings for any external hardware when you plug it in. Each time you connect a device, a tooltip gives you the option of changing the remembered setting. And SPP doesn't promise to block access to memory cards; I was just pushing the envelope.

With systems old enough to have floppy disk drives, a Mata Hari can still copy your data (in 1.4MB chunks). A really brazen thief could steal data by burning it to an internal CD/DVD drive, but the software would block a plug-in burner. Both theft methods carry a far greater risk of detection, though, than does plugging in an iPod or thumb drive. In any case, Safend plans to extend SPP's protection to removable media in a future version.

Safend Personal Protector prevents theft of data through your home computer's ports, but provides quite limited security compared with the corporate version. On the other hand, it's free, and easy to use. In six months or so, Safend may charge for it. If so, I'd want the software's capabilities to expand in kind.