To help enterprises realise the benefits of VDI adoption and understand the security concerns associated with it, global nonprofit IT association ISACA has issued a white paper titled Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), available as a free download. The paper spells out how to develop strategies to mitigate VDI threats and names enablers that can help with its adoption.
“A new, virtual way of working is shaping the world and affecting IT environments,” said Nikolaos Zacharopoulos, CISA, CISSP, IT auditor for Geniki Bank, Greece, and chair of ISACA’s project development team for the white paper. “VDI can help increase productivity and reduce costs, but enterprises need to carefully consider the risk involved with it and plan accordingly. This white paper is a road map for that.”
As end users increasingly need to access enterprise data from mobile devices and various workstations, the likelihood of a security breach if a device is lost or stolen is also increased. VDI offers a cost-efficient method to prevent lost or stolen data by storing data on a centralized server rather than the device itself. In addition to cost reduction, the business benefits identified in the white paper include:
· Increased security
· Connectivity
· Enhanced compliance capabilities
· Efficient deployment
· Simplified administration
· Extended life of desktops
· Consolidated backup and data protection
“There is no doubt that VDI can help IT maintain security and data protection, as well as speed the resolution of problems and improve manageability and control,” said Zacharopoulos, “but all of the pieces need to be in place, as the white paper explains, including determining where the responsibility for virtualization architecture and management will reside.”
“VDI is a very helpful solution for organisations (and security managers) today that want to motivate their employees and other authorized people in providing access to organisational information at any time and in any location on any device that the trusted person has available,” said Marc Vael, Ph.D., CISA, CISM, CGEIT, director of ISACA and chair of the ISACA Knowledge Board. “At the same time, the enterprise’s information remains secure because the information is not stored on the device and the account can be shut down in the event of a compromise. ISACA’s guide provides helpful insights in how to use this solution in a low-risk and effective manner.”
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Tags: Desktop Virtualization |
