As schools continue to provide better access to computer hardware, networks and web resources, district IT staff and classroom teachers face new challenges. IT staff must manage the challenges posed by computer labs and school networks as well as control software deployment and user issues.

Teachers need to manage students who are using computers in a lab or multi-desktop classroom to ensure that they are learning and spending time on their assigned tasks.

Children want to learn, and often the best way is to experiment. Unfortunately lab computers may be used four or five times a day for different classes, so they really can't afford to endure too much practical experimentation.

NetSupport Protect provides a proactive, rather than a reactive, solution to the challenges faced. The philosophy of the product is to prevent changes to the desktop environment and avoid the need to rely on "repair" based solutions that are more costly and have a greater maintenance overhead.

Using NetSupport Protect, IT staff can create a secure desktop environment where system configuration and access from external sources are protected, where users can utilise available applications but are shielded from system resources and the temptation of investigating the workings of the desktop.

A successful product is one that can be implemented and maintained with the minimum of effort and provides a clear summary of the security in place, this is NetSupport Protect.

Simple to use, safe, and secure, NetSupport Protect is the ideal choice of IT administrators and technology coordinators. Presented in a simple and intuitive interface, system control can be configured in minutes and allows either individual or central control of security settings.

• Prevent copying, deletion and renaming of files and folders.
• Hide folders and restrict creation of defined file types.
• Restrict changes to the desktop, taskbar and system settings.
• Restrict shutdown, logoff, lock and password changes.
• Protect the operating system and computer settings.
• Lock control panels, task manager, command prompt and registry.
• Restrict user-defined applications from running.
• Restrict available network drives, drive mappings and network neighbourhood.
• Prevent access to windows systems tools.
• Prevent web browsers from running.
• Restrict creation and deletion of system printers.
• Control access to USB and CD/DVD devices.
• Either Disable USB storage devices, allow read only or prevent application launch.
• Prevent users from installing unauthorized software.
• Apply policies to all users, or exclude specified accounts.
• Share security configurations across a network.

Using NetSupport Protect, IT administrators can prevent unwanted changes to the OS, control the creation of content, restrict unwanted file downloads and control application usage. With easy to adopt end point security, administrators can avoid the introduction of harmful or unwanted content from external sources , yet retain the flexibility to utilise existing technology.

Traditional "policy based" security provides for inflexible ON / OFF lockdown. NetSupport Protect allows useful technologies, such as portable storage devices, to still be utilised but in a constructive manner with controls over functionality.

NetSupport Protect now includes as standard integrated hard disk protection and roll back technology. In addition to the existing functionality that keeps users on task by locking down desktop configuration, the product now also effortlessly protects your operating system and associated files from accidental or malicious deletion and provides a mechanism for automatic restoration on re-boot.

When the new hard-disk recovery feature is enabled, all system files and folders will be continuously monitored and, when required, the system will restore back to a previous point in time quickly and transparently. NetSupport Protect's recovery functionality also allows you to specify folders that are excluded from rollback monitoring and, as such, are always preserved. Whether it's a complete software failure requiring total restoration or specific files, the new recovery feature provides complete flexibility. Needless to say, system administrators can also install, manage and perform software restoration remotely.

Unlike alternative disk protection systems, NetSupport Protect monitors the disk for changes rather than initially taking a complete snapshot of a computer system. This process results in the almost instantaneous creation and restoration of an image.

NetSupport Protect now offers twice the level of desktop security and protection - desktop lockdown and hard disk protection and recovery - in a single and easy-to-use package.