Mobile device management (MDM) software has helped businesses manage employee phones for years, but they haven’t been able to exert the same level of control over the pieces of their workforce. Venn Software predicts that will soon change.
The business disclosed a patented technology on Wednesday for securing remote work on any computer that creates a secure enclave using a lightweight application. Applications running inside the enclave are secure, and data inside is encrypted.
According to Venn Co-Founder and CEO David Matalon, “it’s a radically simplified and less expensive new alternative to virtual desktop infrastructure.”.
With Venn, the business has control over a secure enclave that is set up on the user’s computer. All work-related activities take place in this secure area, where the company controls access and all data is encrypted. Work applications run locally inside the enclave, which functions similarly to MDM software for laptops but isolates and guards business activity from personal use on the same computer.
Instead of securing a laptop’s entire body, Matalon told TechNewsWorld that only the enclave needs to be secure. Work is completed in the enclave, and the user notices a blue border surrounding those particular application windows, he said.
You are not required to work in a virtual desktop environment that is latency-prone and upsetting to users, he continued.
He pointed out that employers no longer had to provide laptops for workers; they could use their own. Additionally, the business can guarantee the security of its data and fulfill its compliance obligations.
A virtual pain in the Buns
Along with the disclosure of the patent, Venn also disclosed that it had received US$29 million in Series A funding, led by NewSpring, to support the expansion of its product line and customer demand.
David and his team were aware of the trends and growing problems related to a distributed workforce in 2019, before the pandemic and the onslaught of remote work, according to a statement from NewSpring Partner Hart Callahan.
He continued, “Before Venn, the team assisted hundreds of financial organizations in resolving compliance and security concerns for remote workers. Through this work, it became obvious that conventional VDI technology was unprepared to handle the demands of an advanced workforce. “.
According to Matthew Psencik, director of endpoint security at Tanium, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) can give an organization more control and protection of its data in the hands of its employees.
But they have historically been under-resourced and set up in a way that makes using them a major hassle for employees, he told TechNewsWorld. “.
Many workers will try to get around VDI controls by using their personal devices or unintentionally leaking company information via third-party websites, he said, when faced with poor performance or roadblocks like not allowing copy and paste.
“The benefits of this approach rarely outweigh the drawbacks,” the author continued, “even before accounting for the effects on employee morale brought on by a frustrating work environment that may result in problems with employee retention or, worse, a disgruntled employee going out of their way to harm the company.”.
Generating Trouble Tickets
An advantage of using a virtual desktop is that all of the builds are frequently based on a single image that can be updated quickly and under strict control, noted Erich Kron, a KnowBe4 security awareness proponent.
He explained to TechNewsWorld that if a virtual machine becomes infected with a virus, it can frequently be quickly destroyed and recreated, allowing workers to get back to work right away.
According to him, virtual desktops frequently have constrained network access and capabilities, which can lessen the likelihood that malware or other endpoint threats will cause harm.
He did, however, add that virtual desktops might be less customizable and might not work well for users if not configured properly, which would increase trouble tickets and complaints.
Any management solution, according to Dror Liwer, co-founder of Coro, a cloud-based cybersecurity company with headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, will have difficulty persuading a worker to install a company-managed tool on a personal device.
Employees need to have faith that the software won’t ruin their experience and that the business won’t monitor how they use their devices for personal purposes, he told TechNewsWorld.
Matalon stated that performance was taken into consideration when designing Venn’s PC management software. He declared, “There is no latency.”.
Simple Offboarding
The Venn solution’s simplicity in employee offboarding is another advantage mentioned by Matalon. It works incredibly well for companies with a high employee turnover rate. A remote wipe of the enclave can be performed by pressing a button, he explained.
In light of the growing popularity of remote working, Kron noted that the ability to remotely wipe and check the status of remote PCs, particularly portable ones like laptops, is undoubtedly a valuable tool for many organizations.
According to Shawn Surber, senior director of technical account management at Tanium, administrators must constantly be aware of and in control of remote desktops and laptops in order to manage security risks effectively.
They cannot be left in a state where they are only managed when connected to a VPN or checked once a week or even once a day, he told TechNewsWorld. “. Due to their high vulnerability, remote PCs require effective, real-time threat management tools, such as patching, software deployment, vulnerability management, and incident response. “.
Although Venn claims that its latest offering bridges the gap between managing mobile devices and computers, the gap may not be as large as it seems.
According to Paddy Harrington, a senior analyst at Forrester Research, “most of these MDM solutions have evolved into unified endpoint management platforms.”.
These solutions can manage most, if not all, of the PC management tasks for the various PC-style devices that many businesses are using, including Windows, Mac, and Chromebooks. deploying.for remote workers,” he told TechNewsWorld.
Roger Grimes, a KnowBe4 Defense Evangelist, continued, “PC platforms have had computer security risk management solutions for decades.
He told TechNewsWorld that Microsoft “allows its customers to manage devices using group policy, registry edits, PowerShell, or using other scripts.”. “MDM solutions aren’t nearly as potent as their PC-based equivalents. “.