Where Agent-based IT Solutions Fall Short
Too often in the enterprise, as new challenges arise we try to shoehorn them into existing solutions. A technology that was originally developed for a specific use case is now being contorted in unintended and unnatural ways. The use of agents on endpoints for security purposes is a good example.
When attempting to use an agent for security purposes, the process is to install an agent on a device. It then takes actions intended to improve security, mainly by empowering IT to configure and update the device remotely over the network. This approach is fine for a set of devices, mostly those that come in and out of headquarters on a near-daily basis. However, if any of these statements can be uttered by a user, an agent-based solution is a poor choice:
“I work remotely and rarely come into the office.”
“I need to add new apps on the fly.”
“Company policy says my personal and work documents need to be separate.”
“I understand company information needs to be protected, but what about user privacy?”
“Sometimes, I’m not even using my own work device.”
Although agent-based solutions enable IT to remotely update devices – a core function of device management – they also make IT’s job harder. Because IT must touch every device to install and configure agents, setup time is slow. In addition, if multiple agents are in use on one device, “agent bloat” impacts endpoint performance. The result is that agents actually make it more difficult and slower for IT to manage endpoints.
If something goes seriously wrong, such as a catastrophic failure or significant secure breach, disaster recovery is a mess that can last for days. In addition, depending on where the end user is, it may require the device to be shipped back to IT at headquarters. The user’s productivity grinds to a halt, and it’s likely that most data will be lost forever.
And, since there’s no good way for users to secure new or ad hoc devices, business data winds up in insecure places. If this isn’t scary enough, because agent-based solutions usually don’t separate personal and business data, both security and user privacy end up compromised. This results in competitive, compliance, and legal concerns, any of which may result a crisis for the enterprise as well as IT.
If an agent-based approach doesn’t work, what is the answer?
The Moka5 secure, client-side container allows the user – not IT – to download, authenticate and begin working all without IT ever touching the device. The Moka5 container has everything – data, apps, network access – that is relevant and preapproved for a specific department, profile or user. IT manages all containers from a central console, so changes in security protocols or patch updates can easily occur. And, because everything in the Moka5 container is separate from anything else on the device, work remains safe and secure, while user privacy is intact.
Learn more about how Moka5 secure containers are addressing how business is conducted today by downloading our Whitepapers.
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