Remote access—connecting with assets and solutions from anywhere in the world—has evolved enormously in recent years. What was once a useful added extra has become a minimum standard in modern business, as partners, team members, customers and other stakeholders now expect to be able to access anything, from anywhere, using any device.
While this change was already well underway by the end of 2019, the coronavirus pandemic that has shaped the subsequent two years has accelerated the evolution. Organizations suddenly needed to find a way to continue their operations without office-based personnel as management teams sought to reducethe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses. Even now, as we look hopefully toward the recovery phase of the pandemic, remote access is here to stay.
This puts business owners in a difficult position. How do they achieve the flexibility and agility of remote access on a meaningful level? What’s more, how do they accomplish this without compromising on security?
Zero Trust in Remote Cybersecurity
When we expand access to a remote level, we are effectively leaving the restricted environment of the traditional office behind, broadening the boundaries significantly. Traditional trust-based security mechanisms do not translate to this new way of operating.
As legitimate access may come from a variety of distributed locations and many different devices, a zero-trust model is required. Zero trust is a security model based on comprehensive identity verification for all users, regardless of their location or the network or device they are using.
With zero trust in place, it doesn’t matter whether the user is in the company head office, using a company-owned device connected to the internal network, or if they are using their own device connected to public WiFi on a different continent. The ID verification protocols are the same. Every user —across every access event—must undergo the same process.
MaaS360 Within theZero-Trust Model
MaaS360 is positioned as a smart solution to the issues related to remote access. WithMaaS360 on their side, businesses can leverage the benefits of a remote access model, enjoying all of the advantages that this provides. At the same time, they are protected by zero-trust access protocols designed to enhance security even as users, devices, networks and access requirements grow increasingly diverse.
The solution is built with this kind of diversity in mind, securing a range of different devices from desktop and laptop computers through to smartphones and tablets. It also utilizes a forward-thinking approach to network security, covering wearable tech and Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices. All of this is underpinned by IBM’s own Watson platform, an innovative AI-based solution that powersMaaS360’s threat detection and mitigation capabilities. The aim is to take access and security to the next level—actively preempting and neutralizing threats before they occur, rather than workingpassively and reactively.
Key Advantages of MaaS 360 Deployment
How does MaaS360 achieve this? Working within the Watson framework, the solution provides a number of different advantages to enterprise users. Take a look at some of the most critical.
•AI-based Features
MaaS360 sets itself apart from many of its competitors, thanks to its AI integration. IBM Security MaaS360 works alongside IBM’s own Watson AI platform, leveraging artificial intelligence to boost the effectiveness of the zero-trust model. With this foundation, the solution works to process the vast amounts of data generated by access protocols, translating this data into actionable insights that support security on an organization-wide basis.
•Threat Detection and Mitigation
As user numbers grow—and as the number of differentdevices and locations grows too—management teams need to be aware of an increasingly diverse threat profile. This necessitates more than just anaccess protocol. Companies need a smart solution that actively targets and detects threats, remediating them before damage occurs.MaaS360 provides this capability, offering powerful threat detection and mitigation capabilities even across an increasinglydiverse network of devices and endpoints.
•Comprehensive Compliance
Regulatory requirements are evolving rapidly. In fact, they needto be evolving rapidly to keep pace with the development of technology and the threat profile facing users and businesses. This is certainly a positive thing, but it does make life difficult for businesses as they seek to stay on the right side of the regulatory line.MaaS360 makes this possible, protecting company data across all tiers and remaining on top of changing compliance requirements. By deploying application containers,MaaS360 controls data access and security while achieving maximum productivity across the network.
•Endpoint Management
Some business owners may be reluctant to implement a complete overhaul of their legacy systems and existing infrastructure. Such wholesale changes tend to be expensive and can throw organizations into disarray, making it difficult for management teams to quantify the benefits.MaaS360 is designed to avoid this, integrating with existinginfrastructure to support easy roll-out for the solution. The platform is also scalable, so endpoints can be added to the setup and managed via the cloud-based platform. The idea is to give business owners a pathway to maximum security and compliance without being derailed byobstacles along the way.
Embrace the Next Generation of Endpoint Management and Access Control with IBM
Thanks to solutions such asMaaS360 and Watson, IBM operates at the cutting edge of endpoint management and remote access securitybest practices. Remaining proactive, preemptive and fully engaged with the threat landscape is crucial for today’s business owners, and IBM’s product range provides the tools required to do exactly this.
Our team is here to assist you as you build your cybersecurity defences without compromising on productivity and operational excellence. As an IBM Platinum partner, we are perfectly positioned to help you find and implement these industry-leading solutions. Connect with our team, build your security and endpoint management infrastructure, and benefit from expert support.
We offer IBMMaaS360 with Watson, as well as other solutions designed to augment security and capability. Reach out to the team to get started or take a look at the product specifications listed on our site.
