The holiday season, often seen as a time for joy and celebration, has transformed into a crucial period for organizational cybersecurity. With online activity surging and remote work becoming the norm, this season presents unique challenges that amplify cybersecurity risks.
The financial and reputational fallout from cyber incidents can be significant. For example, the cost of a data breach has risen by 10% in the past year, now averaging $4.8 million. Moreover, larger enterprises face an annual loss of approximately $400 billion due to disruptions and downtime in critical operations. Beyond immediate financial impacts, a loss of trust among customers and investors can hinder growth.
Compounding these issues, even cybersecurity tools can inadvertently disrupt our computing infrastructure, as seen with the Crowdstrike bug.
To safeguard against financial and reputational damage, cybersecurity and IT leaders must take proactive steps, such as implementing Desktop as a Service (DaaS) strategies, to address the heightened risks of this busy season.
Cyber Risks During the Holiday Season
Every winter, organizations experience increased disruptions, from targeted cyberattacks to IT outages. The rise in online shopping on corporate devices, along with personal devices being used for work, puts corporate networks at greater risk. Additionally, the dispersed nature of remote work complicates monitoring and detection of potential threats.
The holiday season has become a prime target for various cyber threats, including ransomware, data breaches, and phishing attacks. Ransomware groups often exploit the increased workload and staffing shortages during this time, potentially demanding payments of up to $2.7 million from enterprises. Data breaches can expose sensitive information, leading to financial losses, reputational harm, and regulatory penalties. Phishing attacks, often disguised with holiday themes, can deceive employees into clicking malicious links or downloading harmful attachments, compromising credentials and providing attackers with access to organizational systems. These threats are particularly perilous, as a single click from any user can lead to a successful breach.
Desktop as a Service (DaaS): A Vital Component for PC Resilience
DaaS addresses two key challenges for IT:
- Implementing a Zero-Trust End User Computing Strategy
- Establishing a PC Resilience Strategy in the Event of a Cyberattack
Zero Trust End User Computing Strategy with DaaS
Despite spending over $300 billion annually on cybersecurity software and services, the number of cyber threats continues to rise. A more effective approach involves shifting focus from managing and securing devices to securely delivering applications through a zero-trust endpoint. While traditional Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) allows for virtual application and desktop delivery on any device, it is often complex and costly, resulting in a subpar user experience. In contrast, DaaS is a modern SaaS solution that fulfills the zero-trust promise of VDI at a significantly reduced cost and complexity.
PC Resilience Strategy with DaaS
DaaS plays a crucial role in creating PC resilience, whether in the event of a ransomware attack or a bug similar to the Crowdstrike incident. The concept is straightforward: maintain a backup virtual desktop environment. As a cloud-based solution, you only incur costs when resources are actively used. If an attack or issue arises, you can quickly activate the DaaS solution, providing a computing environment for users until the problem is resolved.
About the Author
Amitabh Sinha has more than 20 years of experience in enterprise software, end-user computing, mobile, and database software. Amitabh co-founded Workspot with Puneet Chawla and Ty Wang in August 2012.
Prior to Workspot, Amitabh was the general manager for enterprise desktops and Apps at Citrix Systems. In his five years at Citrix, Amitabh was vice president of product management for XenDesktop and vice president of engineering for the Advanced Solutions Group. Amitabh has a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
