I love how a prospect described what he was looking for in the ideal solution. He’d just watched an infomercial for some amber colored glasses that promised to reduce glare, improve clarity and definition, ultimately making driving safer. He wanted a solution that could do the same for his business: reduce the glare surrounding IT and cyber risks, provide clarity and definition around where his problems areas were, so ultimately he could operate the business more efficiently, easily and profitably. And like the glasses that fit overtop the wearer’s prescription pair, he wanted a solution that easily worked with his existing software and IT portfolio. That made perfect sense to me!
When it comes to our daily business, we may feel like we’re stumbling around in the dark. Our businesses are digital; our key assets (customer records, intellectual property, or proprietary operational processes) are stored in bits and bytes on servers that we may not even own. Our coworkers want the latest solutions and technologies in order to be more productive, and productivity is the key to profiting in our digital businesses. However, these online services, personal devices, and larger virtual workforce are creating more complicated network environments and interdependencies which cloud our visibility.
Hidden In Plain Sight
Threats to security are difficult to recognize, because they’re often hidden in plain sight, undesirable but customary activities performed in the normal business environment. For instance, it’s the 15-year tenured employee sending sensitive files via her personal email account; the new coworker plugging in an infected USB; or the overeager employee downloading a new, unauthorized application to his company device.
Over 95% of insider threats are simply caused by human error – like opening corrupt files, improper use of USB drives, failure to protect access credentials or mishandling confidential data. That’s why visibility is so critical to improving security. Threats – intentional or accidental – can’t be mitigated if you’re unaware of the danger.
Blurred Lines
Cyber threats aren’t the only risks your business faces when it comes to blurred vision in your digital business. Maybe you already suspect that despite implementing an acceptable use policy, you’ve have workers who are checking social media incessantly. Or perhaps you have no idea that your most productive accountant is putting your entire company in jeopardy with his non-compliant file handling procedures, which your industry considers a strict violation of its regulatory framework.
And if we put people to the side for a minute, it’s pretty likely you’ve got under-utilized assets that could be re-allocated (like too many printers in an office or unused software licenses), instead you’re purchasing more. Or you’re about to face an unexpected software license audit, costing you precious IT hours to track software license inventory and usage, assuming you aren’t also hit with true-up fees. Without timely and accurate information, you stand to lose lots of time and money. Operational visibility into actions across all user and devices on the network is necessary to see that the systems are working as planned.
But wait, there’s more!
The good news is you can sharpen operational visibility, gain control over the devices and assets in your network, and simplify compliance. Secure productivity management software provides the essential capabilities businesses need to promote productivity AND security in their digital enterprise. This new, broader solution category contains a set of capabilities spanning IT asset management and user activity monitoring and management, harnessed together in a single console, to provide you with a simple, affordable, work horse solution that can do it all.
Secure productivity management software streamlines traditional IT asset management tasks like inventorying installed applications, upgrading and downgrading software, and installing patches. From the same console, it also provides visibility into the users and activity occurring on your network, from automatically detecting devices, to blocking uploading, downloading, and writing to websites which include blocked keywords and/or URLs, thereby ensuring security and compliance. Bringing these functions together in a single solution makes it easier for you to be informed, without having to toggle between various applications and screens. The result: a secure productivity management solution helps you –and your enterprise- be more productive.
Want to know how our secure management productivity solution helps business owners secure productivity through a single console? Read more at https://interfocus.us/why-interfocus/.