Insight announcements Free From Disruption: Why Endpoint Diversity is Key to Securing Your Business
By Stephen Moss / 7 Oct 2024
What happens when a security incident impacts a subset of your endpoint devices? In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, it’s not a matter of if, but when.
So, how will your organization respond? How will employees stay productive? Do they have access to devices that can keep them up and running if there’s an immediate need?
IT should be well-prepared to respond and ensure minimal disruption, and a diversified endpoint fleet is the key.
Today, endpoint diversification can significantly boost productivity. But having multiple platforms readily available also can be crucial to maintaining continuous access to your work in the event of an outage or security breach.
The traditional approach of providing employees with a single supported computer no longer suffices in today's work environment, where remote work and mobility are prevalent. It is common to find a laptop, tablet, and smartphone in someone's bag, and these do not need to be on the same platform. By giving employees the flexibility to choose devices based on their needs and preferences — supporting both macOS and Windows devices for quick and secure access to company resources — your organization can boost employee satisfaction and reduce downtime.
But does diversifying across operating systems really matter?
The Role of OS Diversity in Business Continuity
Business continuity, rather than disaster recovery, should be the focal point of an organization’s endpoint strategy. Post-Covid, enterprises have recognized the value of device choice in enhancing employee experience, and recent disruptions serve as a reminder to further explore and embrace endpoint diversification.
In the wake of recent cybersecurity events and the largest IT outage in history earlier this summer, caused by a routine but flawed security update, the importance of kernel protection on all edge access devices cannot be overstated.
Apple has proactively secured the kernel in macOS and introduced the Endpoint Security framework for developers to build Mac solutions without compromising performance or stability. Because the framework is based on system extensions versus kernel extensions, it protects the core of macOS, while also providing the capabilities developers need to build robust next-generation security tools.
In addition, Apple has been advancing AI capability by building a Neural Engine into every Mac with Apple silicon. Security developers can leverage this hardware to run advanced AI tasks. Apple’s ecosystem of hardware and software, together with their innovation for platform security, results in reduced rates of mass vulnerability. This is why their devices were unaffected by the July outage that took millions of computers offline.
Simplify How You Manage Endpoint Diversity
The evolving landscape also has introduced AI-powered devices this year, which further underscores the need for proactive measures to safeguard endpoints against emerging threats and supply chain attacks.
Yet a diversified endpoint environment can increase complexity for IT and HR teams. How will devices be managed, secured, and supported? How will you support and promote the ability to choose a device from a persona-based catalog?
To address these considerations, you can leverage the expertise and support of solutions integrators like Insight. We can provide guidance on developing a strategy for managing diverse endpoint devices, including integrating Apple devices into existing infrastructure if you're new to macOS or have a limited amount confined to a specific department.
Insight can help your organization streamline device lifecycle management, asset tracking, and endpoint security across all platforms. We can also talk you through the security benefits, ease of management, and integration possibilities with your broader ambitions to modernize your digital environment.
No cloud data center would dare have a single internet egress. So, why would organizations risk having a non-diverse, end-user strategy?
Empowering your workforce with a range of options also can bring peace of mind to your organization by helping to minimize the impact of security incidents and ensure uninterrupted productivity. Partnering with experts like Insight to manage and secure diverse endpoints can make that step forward an even easier choice.
Stephen Moss
Sr. Vice President, Managed Services, Insight
Stephen Moss leads Insight’s managed services portfolio, helping clients simplify IT management and support through Insight Intelligent Technology Solutions™. He brings more than 30 years of experience spanning hands-on engineering, sales and executive leadership, and technical management.
