Enable IT Efficiency Through Innovation
Next Dimension curates the most practical and useful tools and strategic IT insights from the web. This week we shared articles across our social media covering topics like enabling IT efficiency through innovation, IT reliability and security, and IT strategy to enable business strategy.
Virtual desktop infrastructure may be the long-term solution that suits your organization.
The truth is, secure remote work was a hot topic of conversation well before the events of 2020. Businesses were already looking for ways to provide more flexibility to their workforce by empowering their employees to work anytime, from anywhere, from their preferred device. One critical factor that remains a top priority for IT departments is securing their remote workforce.
Many security breaches stem from either successful phishing, threat vectors gaining access to a user’s endpoint, or an unsecured connection. Fortunately, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) can reduce these risks by:
- Eliminating the risk of data loss or theft by hosting documents, applications and other assets in a secure datacenter requiring multi-factor authentication to access rather than locally on a user’s device.
- Delivering real-time insights for IT administrators to monitor datacenter access and usage from any device in any location.
- Allow IT to grant or revoke infrastructure access to groups or individuals with ease.
- Restrict the ability for users to copy and transfer data from their virtual machines to unsecured external devices.
Companies can see 20-40% increase in labour productivity through a digital performance management strategy.
The Covid-19 pandemic quickly proved how unprepared the supply chain was for global business disruption. However, we shouldn’t let the disruption overshadow the progress that was quietly being made within the supply chain in the form of IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things). While the pandemic may have stalled or modified plans for IIoT integration, it’s imperative they don’t stop here.
IIoT provides intelligence to manufacturers and distributors. This data will paint a picture of where and when to shift resources.
IT Reliability and Security
Maze Ransomware is effective at penetrating through remote desktop solutions with weak passwords and email impersonations to gain access to a user’s system.
The news that Canon experienced a Maze ransomware attack is similar to earlier attacks that targeted LG and Xerox. The analyst notes there is an inherent weakness in most cybersecurity protocols, “Encryption does not work against ransomware because the attacker can simply re-encrypt the data to prevent access to its rightful owner.”
In order for organizations to protect their data, analysts recommend creating a security safeguard at the storage layer. Digital Journal recommends WORM storage. WORM stands for Write Once Read Many. This means, once data is written, it cannot be modified or deleted for a specified length of time.
IT Strategy to Enable Business Strategy
28% of respondents cited lack of skilled professionals and appropriate budgets as their greatest challenge in zero trust adoption. What is holding you back?
For many companies, the pandemic created a pathway towards accelerated digital transformation and zero trust. Zero trust benefits are praised for protecting assets from any endpoint, but obstacles remain for companies trying to expedite this transition.
Two-thirds of respondents in a recent survey said workforce risk management, including remote work and insider threats, is the primary driver of zero trust adoption. Without updated processes and new skills, zero trust efforts fall short. Zero trust, like any other initiative with a hefty price tag, must show value and a true ROI.
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