Finding the Balance between Agility and Control for MSPs

How web access management enables MSP’s to deliver business Agility, whilst maintaining Control over Security & Costs.

Many companies struggle to find the right balance between enabling business agility and increased user productivity, whilst maintaining control over escalating project and IT Security costs.

Businesses typically have a core set of applications requiring user access whilst they are in the office, on the move, or at home.  Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions are increasingly being deployed alongside these applications to meet specific user group requirements.   

With a growing mix of On-Premise, hosted applications and SaaS, companies need to find ways of enabling these environments to co-exist. They are also aiming to provide a seamless Web user experience and trying to maintain control, without going through costly and time consuming user ID consolidation projects. 

Larger organisations in particular can find it difficult to launch new agile web applications due to the number of different ID stores incorporated within their existing infrastructure. MSPs and clients are usually faced with the task of linking these various identification systems together before online applications can be deployed – a serious investment in terms of both time and money. However, web access management (WAM) tools like SES make this a far simpler process.

Achieving security is about more than just implementing the right software

By linking ID systems, whether internal or in the cloud, WAM software can give businesses a competitive edge. Legacy systems can remain in place while new agile web solutions are launched, enhancing business agility and giving software users a smoother and more integrated experience.

Web access management is a great tool for authenticating, authorising and auditing who is able to access your company data and resources. Do you want your employees to work more efficiently by avoiding multiple log-ins? If so, Single Sign-On can help you achieve this. If businesses need to implement multi-factor authentication for particular datasets, then United Security Provider’s (USP) risk based approach to online resources can provide flexible security options.

USP can also help protect your Internet applications by helping to provide confidentiality and integrity. Application firewalls and customisable security mechanisms have led to companies across many industries adopting WAM software whether they need baseline security or e-banking level protection. In fact, there are many facets of web access management, but it is worth remembering that they are only as effective as the security policy underpinning them.

Achieving security is about more than just implementing the right software. Web access management is a hugely valuable tool for securing your organisation, but it needs to be utilised as part of a broader security strategy.

Before opting for any security software, businesses must decide exactly what they want from it. Employees should be informed of what data they can access and which information can be shared externally. Companies must also have a strong understanding of the data protection laws in their country to understand the regulations governing data use.

Given that keeping your online applications secure can be a complex task, it is worth remembering that web access management, like other cloud packages, is an ongoing service, not a one-off product. Many vendors will offer specialist advice and consulting skills alongside the software package itself, so businesses would be wise to make use of the security expertise available to them.

For more information please visit www.web-access-management.com