Combating endpoint management and security challenges in the COVID-19 era

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The importance of device and data security protocols to empower a remote workforce

Since many modern-day operations are rooted in technology, with the sudden emergence of COVID-19, IT divisions around the globe are facing a unique challenge of having to uphold the highest cybersecurity measures (and maintain network integrity) as the majority of their workforce disperses to remote locations in order to satisfy work-from-home (WFH) advisories. As many employees have already made this significant environment switch, the primary focus of system administrators becomes the secure containment of the organization's integral processes and all of its classified resources. For this feat, a versatile device and file control solution is paramount.

Achieve a seamless transition from on-premises to a WFH setup

Device Control Plus can be easily oriented towards WFH infrastructure, as it is a web-based solution with a single console for centralized management. Although admins can create detailed and granular policies, the polices can still be quickly deployed through VPN connectivity, effectively avoiding bottlenecking. As managed computers are shifted to remote locations, Device Control Plus’ lightweight agents will continue to monitor device connections and ensure that enforced policies will persist even when offline. Additionally, for all on-demand operations, the secure gateway server is also a utility provisioned by Device Control Plus to guarantee reliable, private agent-server communication.

Discover and start monitoring all your in-built and external peripheral devices in remote environments

As employees situate themselves in remote accommodations, in order to achieve the same caliber of efficiency, they need the auxiliary devices and gadgets they ordinarily utilize on-premises to be made available in their new workspaces. As they take these devices to their new location and connect them to their computers, it is important for administrators to make sure that these devices are still used for authorized purposes. This task can be easily conducted with Device Control Plus, as it can expediently detect and monitor the actions of more than 17 types of devices.

A zero trust device policy can be easily adopted to ensure maximum security

Employees may occasionally need to connect their personal devices to their work computers. It may be a modem for internet connectivity, or a CD-ROM, printer, etc. If employees have provided a valid reason for using these components, these devices can then be whitelisted and managed by adding them to a Trusted Devices list in Device Control Plus. This feature is the ultimate/major proponent for the Zero Trust security model, which is where only trusted devices are permitted access to an employee's computer while all other devices are blocked by default.

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Ensure data security and gain utmost flexibility when granting file access

When it comes to protecting an organization's vital information, especially as it is accessed by users working from home, there can be many pitfalls to look out for. When on-premises, business perimeters have multiple layers of physical security; this is often not the case with remote locations, where intruders can easily achieve close physical proximity to an employee’s computer.

In a WFH situation, administrators must only provide employees with data that is necessary for their respective tasks. With Device Control Plus' role-based access control feature, policies regarding file access control can be swiftly enacted so that each user can access data pertaining to their job title and role (preferably on a read-only basis). After the tasks are completed, policies can be easily dismantled so that the information is once again locked down.

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Facilitate collaboration by enabling third party users to access data when required.

While on-premises networks are very private, internet connections within home networks can be intercepted and information the computer can be disclosed.

Administrators can leverage the Temporary Access feature to provide employees with short-term access to the data they need. Employees can utilize the time granted to them to transfer the necessary information to removable storage media. This ensures maximum data protection, as users can then work offline without having to worry about web-based malware attacks.

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Monitor the whereabouts all files transferred via peripheral devices

Now that their workforce has geographically expanded, an organization’s files will be accessed from many different locations using various devices, which is why it is crucial that administrators are equipped with ways to monitor the movement of files as well as the devices transferring the content. Device Control Plus' file tracing capabilities are designed for WFH scenarios. For instance, once a file transfer operation occurs on a managed computer, regardless of its location or if it’s online, the agent on the computer will immediately record the file names, file location, and users, computers, and devices involved. These details are consolidated into logs for simplified data tracking.

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Alleviate data loss consequences by creating copies of vital information as backup

As always, it is important to be prepared for liabilities. Recent WFH mandates and mass migration of IT employees have increased the likelihood of data loss or theft. File shadowing is a security feature in Device Control Plus that allows administrators to automatically retain copies of any files that are transferred using USB devices. These copies are stored in password-protected shares so that in the event of a potential data breach incident, the content of the compromised files can be quickly identified and the appropriate action can be taken for rapid recovery.

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Access comprehensive audits and dashboard graphics for easy network analysis

With employees positioned in various regions, it can be a challenge for administrators to achieve a sense of cohesiveness and functional harmony. Luckily the reporting and auditing capabilities are a strong point of Device Control Plus. All the devices that are connected to computers in numerous locations can be effectively monitored and managed through consistent reports, which can be accessed from the Device Control Plus console or periodically emailed to admins.

What can't be measured can't be managed. Device Control Plus’ dashboard, as well as the many detailed audits it offers, can be analyzed to measure the effectiveness of various policies. These audits can also provide insight into various user patterns as they are working from home, so that policies can be further modified to meet their requirements. The smart filters can also be utilized to pinpoint any policy discrepancies so that potential data breach hazards can be removed and the overall cybersecurity of the network can be made unassailable.

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About Device Control Plus

Device Control Plus is essential for discovering and regulating the usage of a myriad of external and built-in peripheral devices. In addition, these devices can be categorized, trusted, or blacklisted, and their activities can also be meticulously managed through policy enforcement relating to file access control, file tracing, shadowing of file content, as well as the granting of temporary device access. For the best administrative and user experience, these policies can be fine-tuned and adapted to meet all WFH needs.