There are a lot of excellent reasons to deploy an enterprise-wide data protection strategy and at the top of the list is protecting users from Ransomware. One of the critical challenges, though, to successfully deploying an enterprise-wide endpoint backup strategy, is the very users that the initiative is supposed to protect. Users are notorious for disabling and uninstalling these applications. The primary reason is the users are impacted by the protection application; it starts at just the wrong time and interferes with them getting their jobs done.
When IT planners consider an endpoint protection solution, how that solution impacts users has to be near the top of the list of their considerations. The first requirement is the solution must install transparently without user interaction. If IT must send out an email that says click on this link to install our data protection software, the chances of that happening are very low. (Ironically, users will gladly click on a link that claims they’ve won a prize, which instead infects them with Ransomware or other Malware).
The second requirement is that the software be able to protect, frequently and transparently, that user’s laptop. The solution has to be smart enough to leverage the right connection, for example avoiding a metered (LTE) connection or a slow hotel WiFi connection. It also has to be smart enough to optimize the bandwidth and only transfer the absolute minimal amount of data. The objective is to get the backup done as quickly as possible while not disturbing the user.
The third requirement is success: successful recoveries. If IT can consistently and quickly restore a user’s files, recover a laptop replacement and secure a lost laptop, then the users will realize the service really does protect them. Certainly, the organization gains from having previously unsecured data now protected but acceptance is all about the user, so being able to recover and secure their data on a consistent basis will have a significant payoff.
A final requirement is mobile wipe. Laptops get lost, left on airplanes, airport security lines or even at the local coffee shop. When they are lost users have to worry about both personal and business information being compromised. With remote wipe IT can put the users mind at ease, not only can they provide them with a new laptop that was just how they left it, thanks to good backups, they also, thanks to remote wipe don’t have to worry about their data on the old system.
StorageSwiss Take
Ransomware is yet another reason to protect endpoints, especially considering the high percentage of unique data that is on these devices. Since endpoints are also on the front lines of cyber-threats, providing frequent and transparent protection is critical. To learn more join us on our on demand webinar “4 Steps to Protecting Endpoints from Ransomware”.
George Crump is the Chief Marketing Officer at VergeIO, the leader in Ultraconverged Infrastructure. Prior to VergeIO he was Chief Product Strategist at StorONE. Before assuming roles with innovative technology vendors, George spent almost 14 years as the founder and lead analyst at Storage Switzerland. In his spare time, he continues to write blogs on Storage Switzerland to educate IT professionals on all aspects of data center storage. He is the primary contributor to Storage Switzerland and is a heavily sought-after public speaker. With over 30 years of experience designing storage solutions for data centers across the US, he has seen the birth of such technologies as RAID, NAS, SAN, Virtualization, Cloud, and Enterprise Flash. Before founding Storage Switzerland, he was CTO at one of the nation's largest storage integrators, where he was in charge of technology testing, integration, and product selection.
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