As a growing number of employees embrace the always on remote work lifestyle, companies and IT departments have had to adapt. Cloud storage services, software-as-a-service providers, and online communication methods enable employees to conduct business from anywhere in the world. While this has increased productivity and efficiency, maintaining data security with distributed workforces is a difficult challenge.
In order to maintain network security, provide employees with the latest software, and minimize interruptions for end users, IT departments must utilize tools that allow them to remotely access and control the endpoints in their infrastructure. In the past, employees were expected to connect to networks via VPN. With cloud accessibility, this is no longer necessary, and updating or deploying software via VPN is inefficient and an inconvenience for both IT departments and end-users
Some enterprise-level tools enable remote software deployment, but they can be difficult to configure and may struggle with the variety of operating systems present in modern networks. Microsoft SCCM often incorrectly reports failed deployments as complete, and does not operate on Mac or Linux systems, forcing SysAdmins to use other solutions for certain devices. Configuration management tools such as Chef and Puppet allow for remote software deployment, but require complex scripting and don’t automatically report on what has been installed.
Without one single solution that can manage remote software deployment and perform other duties related to enforcement of software policies and patching, IT departments are forced to piece together processes that consist of several tools which need to be configured individually. Tracking software on remote endpoints and applying patches may still be completed manually, however this leads to lost time and incomplete reporting on what software is installed on each device. The result is unapproved applications that can pose a security risk.
Best practice management for remote deployment of software across your network requires a cloud-based solution that can enforce software policies, track software versions, patch those that are out-of-date, and blacklist software you do not want installed. A solution like Automox will also work across all of your network devices no matter where they are located. As long as they are connected to the internet, they can be managed by IT. You’ll also have full visibility of every endpoint in your infrastructure, both servers and workstations. You can see the current patch status as well as what software is on each device.
Automox’s policy engine is easily configurable, and works with multiple operating systems and 3rd party applications. Using rules set in the Automox dashboard or through custom configuration, you can install required software on all devices and report those that have missed a new software deployment or patch. You can also enforce software policies with Automox. Software that is deleted by the end user is automatically reinstalled, and blacklisted software is removed whenever it is detected.
The growth in remote network access and accessibility of third-party software end users can download and install, requires companies to rethink their data security for patching and configuration management. Using Automox to manage your patching and endpoint configuration provides IT departments with a single source of truth, while also improving resources allocation.
To try Automox for yourself and gain full control over remote software deployment, software blacklisting, and software patching, sign up for your free trial. You’ll have full platform access, no endpoint limit, and you can keep your credit card in your wallet.