Accelerating Virtual Desktop Adoption with Fast, Automated Access - Page 2
Tailor Authentication Technologies to User and Data Needs
One key benefit of desktop virtualization is that IT departments can tailor the selection of client devices to suit different user needs. In much the same way, they can use the authentication layer to tailor the particular authentication method for the user and workflow needs.
Security is often a driving factor in virtual desktop deployments. For example, the financial services industry is turning to desktop virtualization to keep proprietary and regulated data off employee desktops and mobile devices that can be stolen or left in cabs and airports. IT organizations must protect access to the virtual desktop itself, as well as the applications that it contains.
Using an authentication management solution with strong authentication and SSO, you can deploy multi-factor authentication for securing the virtual desktop: selecting the right authentication technique based on the user, their location, and the type of applications they access. Once securely authenticated to the desktop, access to the applications is seamless with SSO. To further improve application security, the SSO system can generate and use randomized passwords to protect applications against brute force hacking attempts. Automating the entry of these passwords into the application allows the SSO system to be a single point of control for application access as it eliminates the ability to manually log into the applications. This technique is very effective in shutting down all application access when an employee leaves or is terminated.
It's important to consider a variety of options for authentication factors. For example, an organization might use a combination of password and ID badge (with passive proximity capabilities) for users within campus walls, and require a different second factor for users accessing their virtual desktop from a remote location. Or, a hospital might require clinicians that interact with patient data to authenticate with a physical factor (fingerprint or badge), while IT staff using administrative applications from on-campus can login with only a password.
By matching the authentication technology to specific application and user needs, and combining strong authentication with SSO, you can streamline access without compromising security.
Give Roaming Users a Desktop That Follows Them
Desktop virtualization delivers real benefits for roaming users, who move between different locations and clients yet need a consistent desktop experience. When users change location, a virtual desktop can follow them, maintaining its current state. Users do not have to connect and disconnect from various applications from each new location.
The showcase scenario for desktop roaming is the healthcare environment. In the hospital, clinicians move through different locations to care for different patients, sometimes entering data on a Computer-on-Wheels (affectionately known as a "COW"), or at nursing workstations, in physician offices, and other locations. A clinician may easily connect from dozens of different workstations during the course of a shift.
The clinician, having first logged in during their shift with a password and second factor, can subsequently authenticate during the shift with the single touch of a fingerprint or badge. When they reach a new workstation or location, the single touch retrieves their virtual desktop in its current state. This eliminates the ever-present task of authenticating with applications and desktops, and lets clinicians get right to the business of caring for the patient.
