The Cyber Defense eMagazine February Edition for 2024

Let’s dive into how security leaders can ensure both the safety of their infrastructures and the satisfaction
of their end-users through a modern cloud-native approach, including the implementation of modern VDI
tools to help measure end-user experience and understand the impact of existing and planned security
tools.
Security vs. Satisfaction: Breaking Down the Dilemma
Many essential, yet cumbersome, cybersecurity protocols can alienate an enterprise’s most critical asset:
its employees. This clash between IT security's push to tighten defenses and employees' desire for a
smooth digital experience creates a CISO vs. employee dilemma. This adds even more pressure on
business leaders to optimize security processes. The reality is that the user friction caused by excessive
security measures can backfire, potentially leading to costly security vulnerabilities and talent drain.
As an example, employees will be much more reluctant to tolerate software updates or security measures
- like using multi-factor authentication (MFA) or password managers - as they add time and effort to their
day-to-day tasks. In this scenario, they may work around updates or delay necessary fixes so as to not
disrupt workflow. What is even more concerning, users may also use their personal accounts to do work
to avoid burdensome security measures. In the most extreme cases, some pockets of “shadow IT” may
emerge with the most technically savvy employees.
All in all, with lower end-user tolerance for updates and potential workarounds, organizations are more
exposed to costly risks, including ransomware attacks or data leaks.
Security leaders must also consider the integration of costly tools that overlap with one another or go
unused, as this is another key challenge of integrating an increasing number of security measures.
Overburdened by tool sprawl, CISOs can lose track or fall behind compliance of security assets, resulting
in needless costs, and dragging down user and company efficiency.
Lower end-user satisfaction ultimately leads to employee retention challenges as well – costing the
enterprise time and money. In fact, as of 2023, the costs of turnover in a business for technical positions
jumped to 100 to 150 percent of salary, impacting the business steps for onboarding and offboarding as
well.
Striking the Balance Between Security & Satisfaction
To effectively balance end-user satisfaction and sufficient security protocols, organizations must adopt a
pragmatic, holistic approach. Prioritizing user experience while maintaining seamless business
operations and enterprise-wide security is paramount. This involves the critical element of assessing enduser
experiences to comprehend the impact of existing and planned adoption of security tools.
To achieve the monitorization and measurement of real-time and historical end-user experience,
enterprises can turn to modern, cloud-native Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) capabilities. By opting
for modern end-user computing solutions, organizations can swiftly pinpoint areas of employee
dissatisfaction, observe trends in compliance with security protocols, and gain real-time end-user
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