Intercept X Advanced for Server - Lockdown File/Folder Exclusions

Hi Craig,

I would create the exclusion to match the folder sitting on the server since the lockdown is actioning on the server and not the clients.

I believe if you add a trailing backslash to your exclusion it will exclude everything nested under that folder.
Eg. F:\ will exclude F:\example.exe and F:\nestedfolder\example.exe. 

If you add a * at the end of your trailing backslash it should exclude everything under that folder but not nested folders. 
Eg. F:\* will exclude F:\example.exe but not F:\nestedfolder\example.exe.

Hi MEric

Thanks for your reply.

Originally this is what I did, by excluding the Server's local drive paths with the trailing backslash.

I expected this to work, but results show otherwise.

e.g. I have excluded a local drive folder G:\ITG\Software\

which contains all our installers, with the server unlocked I can delete .exe files under this structure via my mapped drive of I:\Software\

When the server is in Lockdown mode, I can no longer do this. This is the result reported on the server.

So I'm at a loss on how to make these exclusions work without leaving these Servers Unlocked or Moving this type of storage elsewhere where it's not under the protection of Sophos.

Cheers,

Craig

Hi MEric

Thanks for your reply.

Originally this is what I did, by excluding the Server's local drive paths with the trailing backslash.

I expected this to work, but results show otherwise.

e.g. I have excluded a local drive folder G:\ITG\Software\

which contains all our installers, with the server unlocked I can delete .exe files under this structure via my mapped drive of I:\Software\

When the server is in Lockdown mode, I can no longer do this. This is the result reported on the server.

So I'm at a loss on how to make these exclusions work without leaving these Servers Unlocked or Moving this type of storage elsewhere where it's not under the protection of Sophos.

Cheers,

Craig

 Hi Craig,

I may have incorrectly assumed the Allowed files/folders section worked like SAV exclusions.  Unfortunately I do not use Lockdown in my environment nor do I have a server I could freely test this out on.  I suspect that the exclusion may not apply to nested folders at all which would not make creating exclusions for your scenario ideal.  Perhaps someone with more Server Lockdown experience may be able to comment on this?

Lockdown prevents applications from doing actions on the machine. See the first line of the Lockdown policy page:

When you lock down a server, we list the software installed on it and only allow that software to run in future. You can use these settings to change what is allowed without the need to unlock the server.

There are three configurations available in the policy:

Allow Files/Folders: This means that any application located IN the designated folder or explicitly marked in the policy can run and change files anywhere on the server.

Block Files/Folders: This means that any application located IN the designated folder or explicitly marked in the policy can NOT run and change files anywhere on the server.

Excluded Folders: Do not add software in these folders to the list. This also blocks it from running.

Notice that none of these allow applications coming in from outside to modify the files located on the server. 

Based on your description you are trying to allow explorer.exe located on your local machine to modify files on the server - this won't work. You would have to implement a terminal service type setup where you access an application running on the server (that is allowed through the policy) and have it do the alterations you want.

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the explanation, this makes sense.

So basically now, I have to leave my file servers unlocked or move my IT and Developers Storage area to a place that is not covered by Server Lockdown.

Are there any plans to include a option on Intercept X Advanced for Server whereby admins can totally exclude areas or drives from the Lockdown feature?

If not I'll start one on the Ideas portal, I can't imagine I'm the only IT Manager or Developer that has encountered this [*-)]

The Terminal Service type setup you suggested would work for my admins, but not for our Test Development team who are not allowed to log onto the servers.

Thanks,

Craig

I can't say specifically if there is anything on the roadmap for that. You can submit it here: https://ideas.sophos.com/ 

Our product managers review those suggestions regularly.