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Add or remove external devices from protection exclusions

You can now add or remove specific external devices from protection exclusions directly from the External devices section – without the need to manually enter hardware IDs.

In this article, you will learn:

 

 

Introduction

Protection exclusions allow you to exclude trusted external devices (like approved USB drives or company hardware) from Safetica's protection policies. Excluded devices can operate without restrictions while protection against unauthorized devices is maintained.

❗Protection exclusions do not apply in these cases:

  • Bluetooth devices: You can add a Bluetooth device to protection exclusions, but the exclusion will have no effect. Safetica policies will still apply to the device, and if your policies block Bluetooth devices, they will remain blocked.
  • Devices used as a data destination: If a device's hardware ID is also added as a data destination, the exclusion will have no effect. Safetica keeps controlling all devices with that ID. Keep in mind that devices of the same model usually share one hardware ID, so you can't exclude one device while your policies still control others of the same model.

✍️Learn more about protection exclusions here.

✍️Learn more about the External device section in this video.

 

 


Two ways to manage exclusions from protection

Option 1: External devices section (recommended for individual devices)

Best for: Managing specific, individual external devices.

What you can do:

  • Add or remove a specific external device from protection exclusions via its detail.
  • No need to know or enter the device’s hardware ID.

Limitation: You cannot manage multiple external devices at once.

Learn more here.

 

Option 2: Protection exclusions section

Best for: Managing whole groups of external devices.

What you can do:

  • Add or remove whole groups of external devices (e.g., all USB storage devices) from protection exclusions.
  • Create rules for devices from specific manufacturers
  • Manage multiple devices with one rule

Limitation: Requires more technical setup for individual devices

Learn more here.

 

 


How to add a device to Protection exclusions from the device’s detail

  1. Go to External devices.
  2. Click the device you want to exclude from protection to open its detail.
  3. In the Protection exclusions row, click the three-dot menu.
  4. Click Add to protection exclusions.

The device will now appear as Excluded, and its Hardware ID will be added to the Protection exclusions section.  Also, policies will no longer apply to this device. Note that this does not apply to Bluetooth devices and to devices whose hardware ID is also added as a data destination – policies will continue to apply to them even when excluded. 

 

 


How to remove a device from Protection exclusions from the device’s detail

  1. Go to External devices.
  2. Click the excluded device to open its detail.
  3. In the Protection exclusions row, click the three-dot menu.
  4. Click Remove from protection exclusions.

 

The device will now appear as Not excluded, and its Hardware ID will be removed from the Protection exclusions section. Also, policies will apply to this device again.

 

 


FAQ

Q: Can I exclude multiple external devices at once?
A: Yes. While in the External devices section, you can only exclude one specific device, the Protection exclusions section allows you to manage groups of external devices (e.g., all USB drives).

 

Q: Will excluded external devices still appear in records and reports?

A: Yes, excluded external devices are still audited. They're simply not subject to protection policies.

 

Q: What happens when I exclude an external device that's currently blocked?

A: The external device will immediately become accessible. Policy restrictions will no longer apply to the external device.  The exceptions are Bluetooth devices and devices whose hardware ID is also added as a data destination – they remain blocked by policies even when added to protection exclusions. 

 

Q: Why is my Bluetooth device still blocked after I added it to protection exclusions?
A: Protection exclusions have no effect on Bluetooth devices. Exclusions work at the level of the device control driver, and Bluetooth devices are not handled by this driver. To allow a Bluetooth device, adjust your policies instead. 

 

Q: Can I see which external devices are currently excluded?
A: Yes, excluded external devices appear in the Protection exclusions section.