Mitigating controls are designed to reduce the impact or severity of an event that has occurred or is likely to occur. They do not prevent or detect the event, but rather limit the damage or consequences of it. For example, a backup system is a mitigating control that can help restore data after a loss or corruption.
In this case, the company is focused on reducing risks from removable media threats, which are threats that can compromise data security, introduce malware infections, or cause media failure123. Removable media threats can be used to bypass network defenses and target industrial/OT environments2. The company cannot prohibit removable media entirely because of certain primary applications that require them, so it implements mitigating controls to lessen the potential harm from these threats.
Some examples of mitigating controls for removable media threats are:
Encrypting data on removable media
Scanning removable media for malware before use
Restricting access to removable media ports
Implementing policies and procedures for removable media usage and disposal Educating users on the risks and best practices of removable media