Are your endpoints ready for 5G, IOT and increased remote/hybrid working in 2021?

Are you breathing a sigh of relief that 2020 is coming to an end and you can put an end to all your company’s endpoint troubles? Well, don’t put your feet up just yet. This festive season users’ devices will only grow in numbers, promoting communication globally. Not to mention, that 2021 will bring with it the move to 5G and advancement in IoT. This year has brought about many endpoint management and security challenges with the increase in remote and hybrid working.

While the 5G storm approaches us here in South Africa, users celebrate as they preempt to be able to engage and communicate faster than ever. This is the opposite for IT admins and managers, plagued with the perplexity of how to manage multiple devices and cybersecurity implications. Here is why you need a solid endpoint management plan in place for 2021 to simplify unified endpoint management and prevent vulnerabilities: 

1. Automate patch management related to OS and third-party applications.

Close your attack surfaces and prevent potential security breaches by seamlessly performing end-to-end patch management. Given the increase in device management, automating this task will free up your time. 

2. Simplify software distribution to install and uninstall software using built-in templates. 

If you have more than 15 computers in your organization manual software deployment becomes labor-intensive, cost-ineffective and it is prone to redundancy. An automated solution allows you to distribute software packages and automate software deployment in all the computers across your network. Ensure that you can access and troubleshoot Windows, macOS, and Linux computers anytime and that it can be done from a central console, without user intervention.

3. Instantly troubleshoot remote devices via remote desktop sharing.

A capable remote access tool goes a long way in assisting IT admins and making the troubleshooting process faster and more reliable. Initiate remote sessions and troubleshoot end users’ workstations from anywhere, anytime using mobile devices.

4. Monitor and manage all your IT assets.

Ensure that you have predefined inventory reports and email notifications to track, monitor, and manage everything from a single console. Manual asset management can become a costly affair. With the help of asset scans, you can easily configure alerts to notify you regarding any changes detected in the hardware or software inventory.

5. Simplify device and application management.

With the growing number of mobile devices in your organization, you need a way to scrutinize any mobile device that accesses your enterprise’s resources. No two enterprises are the same—customize and enforce stricter policies at various levels to suit your specific security needs. 

6. Deploy security and management configurations to all network users and devices.

5G and IoT are predicted to present security risks, as cybercriminals may be able to exploit flaws in the 5G network, such as virtualization vulnerability. As 5G connects numerous devices, from conventional devices used in enterprises to IoT devices used in OT and commercial environments, the potential attack surface expands. Compromised IoT-based DDoS attacks and other attacks that exploit endpoint/device application vulnerabilities are expected to increase. You will need to adapt to deploy security and management configurations to all network users and devices in real-time to protect users and devices. Failure to do so could result in multiple attacks that will compromise your network. 

7. Define roles with specific privileges and delegate users to these roles.

In a midsize network, it is quite an impossible task for a single person to cover all the aspects of system administration. Taylor make specific user roles to assist you with privileged user management and better security.

8. Monitor and detect anomalies by looking at the numerous reports offered. 

Keep ahead of the game and preempt vulnerabilities by exporting regular Integrated Server and Desktop Management Reports. Even better, find a solution that allows you to schedule reports to enhance proactivity. 

9. Improve employee productivity by blacklisting unwanted applications.

App Management is one of the most complex tasks for IT administrators especially if the organization has a mobile-first workforce. The IT administrator must ensure these non-compliant apps do not access/share corporate data. Enforce app block listing. It lets you select non-compliant apps and ensure these apps are removed in case they are installed or are prevented from being installed in the future. In the case of eligible devices, you can choose to either remove the apps instantly or notify the users and then remove it. For other devices, you can notify the users regarding the same.

Desktop Central Cloud gives you 360-degree control over all your network endpoints. Monitor and manage all your remote devices, secure all endpoints (including BYOD devices), remotely troubleshoot devices, and much more.

Should you need guidance on your endpoint management plan for 2021, don’t hesitate to contact us.