Network Visibility: Meeting the Challenge of Windows 10 and Beyond

Featured article by Rob Greer, CMO & SVP of Products, ForeScout Technologies, Inc.

2015 was a banner year for Microsoft. The company updated its Xbox One video game console, created an Outlook app for iPhones and other user-friendly tools across platforms, and opened its successful Microsoft Azure cloud to a wider base of software developers than ever. To top it off, Microsoft released Windows 10 – for free.

More than 120 million computers are running Windows 10 already. While everyone likes “free,” what truly sets this release apart from others is that Microsoft plans to expand Windows 10 to an unlimited number of devices via the “Internet of Things” (IoT). IoT is becoming an increasing topic of conversation both in and outside of the workplace, in particular in discussions around how to secure these connected devices.

In the complex alphabet soup of IoT and BYOD (Bring Your Own Devices), organizations are facing a much larger issue: how do you securely manage the onslaught of virtually invisible devices that are connecting to your corporate network?

An agent needs to be running on a device in order for the IT operations team to be able to detect it. Since users will be upgrading their personal devices to Windows 10 on a massive scale—and therefore will not have agents—IT administrators need a way to identify, evaluate and secure all the new Windows 10 endpoints that are connecting to their networks. Security through agentless visibility empowers IT to be able to see how many endpoints are accessing the enterprise network and be proactive about only allowing compliant devices to access valuable applications and data.

The widespread adoption of Windows10 is surely due in large measure to the fact that it provides a seamless experience across various device types. But while BYOD is convenient for employees, it can cause a real nightmare for IT organizations. The truth that can’t be ignored is that BYOD is here to stay, and steps must be taken to safely embrace it. To provide a secure network, enterprises must include:

– Compliance and communication: Organizations must make certain that Windows 10 endpoints are compliant with their security policies and can share real-time context about Windows 10 devices with their existing SIEM (Security Information and Event Management), NGFW (Next Generation Firewall), EPP (Endpoint Protection) and patch management systems.

– Visibility without agents: Because cyber attacks have become so sophisticated, relying on IT manpower to handle threats on both managed and unmanaged (agentless) devices isn’t scalable. Simply throwing people at the problem isn’t fiscally responsible, nor can it guarantee full visibility into all devices.

– Secure network access: To be able to implement best-practice network segmentation for guests, contractors, business partners and employees, organizations need to enforce network access based on user, device and security posture. This allows organizations to onboard Windows 10 devices brought by guests, employees and vendors in a secure manner and provide them access to only the network resources they require to remain productive. If you are somehow able to get your arms around your employee’s personal and company-issued devices, you’d be remiss to ignore the potential threat of visiting vendors, interviewees and delivery personnel.

Most networks today include an accumulation of security products added over time, layered on top of each other vertically and laterally – which means securing an enterprise computing environment is no simple task. Add the challenge of IoT, BYOD and free upgrades—such as the Windows 10 release—and the result is a complicated infrastructure where full protection from cyber attacks is a daunting task.

You can’t simply forbid employees from upgrading to Windows 10, either; that’s not realistic, and it doesn’t address the root problem. Upgrades of this nature have become the norm, and it’s better to embrace rather than fight the growing trend. The last two years show that no matter how robust the external defenses, a determined and persistent adversary can find a way to infiltrate a corporate network.

What’s the answer, then? Best practices for keeping the network safe include securing network access, implementing agentless visibility for scalable defense against cyber attacks and open security communication across all systems. These steps will enable IT teams to roll with never-ending software upgrades because they will be able to see and secure all devices that are connecting to the network. This setup also positions organizations to more easily incorporate new types of devices as digital transformation propels us into a brave new world of technology.

About the author:

Rob Greer has served as SVP products and marketing at ForeScout since June 2015. Prior to joining ForeScout, he served as vice president and general manager of the Network Security division at HP Software, where he was responsible for determining product strategy, delivery, customer success and overall P&L.  Before that, Rob served in numerous leadership roles at Symantec, ClearApp (acquired by Oracle), SonicWALL, and Ignyte Technology, Inc., where he was founder and chief executive officer. He earned a Bachelor degree in Management Information Systems from San Jose State University.