It is widely recognised that the severity and sophistication of cyberattacks will continue to rise.
IT teams face the challenge of ensuring devices are visible, secure, and trustworthy for both authentication and management purposes. Additionally, high compliance standards and regulations must be adhered to.
Computing's latest report in this space, conducted in partnership with Intel vPro and the result of conversations with 150 IT decision makers involved in endpoint strategy or implementation at their organisation, explores endpoint manageability security challenges and the state of support across a range of industries.
Out of sight, out of control?
IT leaders voiced concerns around malware, resourcing issues for remedying and monitoring endpoint alerts, and the increased use of devices on vulnerable networks.
Remote devices create greater attack surfaces for cybercriminals to exploit. Off-site employees are also less vigilant when it comes to security procedures and protocols - they may be distracted at home, lend work devices to family members, and cannot immediately ask colleagues for advice.
IT personnel want to provide a seamless experience for their dispersed employee devices, which won't infringe on privacy but complies with stringent requirements.
Protecting estates
Alarmingly, 15 per cent of IT leaders are not sure if their organisation has experienced a successful cyberattack in the last five years, while around a third say they have. Given the current security landscape, and worldwide advocations to bolster security in the wake of increasing domestic and state-sanctioned cyber attacks, organisations need endpoint estate visibility.
Ninety per cent of respondents recognise that effective endpoint management prevents and limits cybersecurity incidents. The most important feature for IT leaders is security patch deployment, followed by remote access. Accurate, efficient user support is critical for productivity and user satisfaction.
Support shift
‘Shifting left' on support - moving from reactive to proactive device management by resolving issues before they become a problem, self-remediation, and utilising the helpdesk rather than contacting engineering teams - is recognised as valuable across industries. Shifting left reduces the pressure on more resource-heavy IT teams and rapidly combats incidents. This is especially important as devices proliferate.
While 100 per cent of survey respondents say the demands placed on their remote endpoint estate has increased or stayed the same, just seven per cent of respondents are extremely confident in their endpoint manageability. Organisations may be compromising on security and support if their endpoint manageability is flawed. Regular solution evaluation as well as modernising tools will guarantee estates are protected, stable, and visible.
To learn more about Computing's latest research into the endpoint manageability state of the nation, read the full report.
This article is sponsored by Intel
