RMM Strategy Deep Dive: How to Protect & Manage Employee Devices Effectively

An RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) strategy allows businesses to proactively monitor, manage, and secure remote IT infrastructure and devices.

When thinking about implementing an RMM strategy at your organization, it is important to think how your organization can operate, ensuring that it addresses relevant security concerns, particularly with devices distributed across large areas. It is also essential to consider how end users might access technical support without access to a shared office environment. It is also worth clarifying your strategy in the event of device loss or compromise.

RMM software allows IT professionals to oversee networks and devices from anywhere, ensuring that everything runs smoothly, and that security is maintained. With RMM, you get 24/7 oversight, quick issue resolution, and proactive maintenance, all without needing an on-site visit. 

That all sounds great, so what else do you need to know about it?

Reasons To Use Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)

Some key benefits of using RMM include:

• It enables employees to work remotely without having to go to a physical office for IT troubleshooting and upkeep
• It helps to minimize risk of cyber incidents by ensuring devices are patched 
• It automates routine tasks to streamline operations for busy IT teams 
• Helps organizations to gain visibility over ecosystem, ensuring that resources are used appropriately

By using RMM, organizations can enhance security, improve efficiency, and ensure seamless IT operations for remote and in-office teams alike.

Security Challenges In Remote Work

Some specific challenges and their possible solutions include:

Home Networks May Be Unsecured 

Poor Wi-Fi connections without proper security measures (like not using weak passwords, making sure encryption is being used and is up-to-date, and ensuring open access is not given to unauthorized users) can affect how secure the network is. This is a challenge for remote workforces as workers have more responsibility to maintain their own security, leading to a wider margin for human error and therefore more vulnerabilities that cybercriminals might exploit. Unlike office networks, which have IT teams and established security controls, home networks often lack security features like firewalls, monitoring, and intrusion detection systems.

To overcome this challenge, employees can use strong passwords, enable high quality encryptions, or even use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to secure their data and communications.

Use of personal devices

Allowing employees to use their personal devices for work purposes is a potential security challenge that organizations should weigh up against the cost saving benefits. Personal devices lack proper security protocols (such as encryptions, antivirus, and regular updates), making them less secure. Unlike company-managed devices, personal laptops, tablets, and smartphones may be more vulnerable to malware, phishing attacks, and unauthorized access. Employees might also store or transfer sensitive company data on unprotected devices, increasing the risk of data breaches if the device is lost, stolen, or compromised.

To overcome this challenge, organizations should enforce strict Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, require employees to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) on their devices, and use Mobile Device Management (MDM) to secure access to corporate resources.

Employees Lacking Training

With remote work environments, insufficiently trained employees create a significant security risk due to their lack of familiarity with best practices for data protection and their inability to recognize current cyber threats. Without proper training, remote employees are more vulnerable to things like phishing attacks, weak password practices, and mishandling of confidential information, all of which can increase the risk of data breaches.

To overcome this challenge, organizations should employ Security Awareness Training (SAT) and provide phishing simulations to help employees get familiar with the various indicators of a potential attack. It is also important to have clear remote work policies for employees to follow.

Inconsistent Use Of VPNs

A VPN works by encrypting internet traffic, protecting data from threats like man-in-the-middle attacks, eavesdropping, and unauthorized access. 

Inconsistent use of VPNs is a security challenge in remote work because employees may access company data over unsecured public or home networks without encryption, making it less secure and allowing cybercriminals to more easily intercept sensitive information. With remote workers, organizations cannot control whether or not employees are using VPNs consistently or stop them from disabling it for convenience, meaning company resources might be exposed without the organizations realizing.

To overcome this challenge, organizations can choose to enforce mandatory VPN usage policies, implement automating VPN connections, or provide employees with specialized training on the importance of proper VPN usage to secure their remote communications.

Weak Passwords And Authentication

Weak passwords and poor authentication practices pose a major security challenge in remote work because they make it easier for cybercriminals to compromise employee accounts through brute-force attacks, credential stuffing, or phishing scams. If remote workers practice unsafe password habits like reusing passwords across multiple accounts, the risk level increases. Tools like MFA and strong passwords help to block attackers from gaining unauthorized access to company systems, helping to prevent data breaches, identify theft, and financial losses.

To overcome this challenge, organizations are advised to enforce strong password policies, make MFA a requirement for all employees, and encourage or require the use of password managers to make it easier for employees to keep track of passwords and minimize the risk of compromised credentials.

Tips For Protecting And Managing Employee Devices Remotely 

1. Keep track of which devices are in circulation within your organization and which users are assigned to them:
   • Most RMMs have a device inventory feature to facilitate this 
   • RMMs can also make it significantly easier to audit and create reports on this information to keep in line with compliance standards 
2. Ensure employees have access only to what they need:
   • With too little access, remote workers can’t perform their duties effectively 
   • Too much access creates the risk that resources will be accessed inappropriately or leaked to unauthorized personnel
3. If devices are lost or stolen, have a plan of action. Common RMM features that will help to address this risk include:
   • Remote locking and wiping 
   • Location tracking 
   • Encryption 
4. Allow employees and IT teams to collaborate remotely if technical difficulties happen:     
   • RMM tools allow IT admins to remotely take actions on devices such as rebooting 
   • Screen sharing with end users

For more information on Remote Monitoring and Management, why not take a look at our shortlists and Buyers’ Guides here: 

• The Top RMM Solutions for MSPs 
• Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) Buyers’ Guide 
• The Top Remote Management Tools for Windows