Every week it seems another high-profile security breach hits the headlines. Even big brands—ones you’d expect to have the most hardened security—can’t seem to keep sensitive data private. Many of the biggest breaches focused on just one unsuspecting user and a well-known vulnerability on a laptop or PC. This is the new world of cybersecurity: building Fort Knox around your network is useless if just one endpoint among thousands keeps your back door propped wide open.
Security is only as strong as your weakest link. That weak link could be any employee, working on any machine that might have an out-of-date OS or an expired anti-virus suite. It has become an enormous task for businesses to keep their shields up, often overwhelming the IT department.
New technologies and processes are emerging to deal with the challenge of weakening endpoint security, including solutions like Unified Endpoint Management. But more fundamental advancements that simply focus on keeping device hardware and software both up to date are also important to understand, such as Device as a Service (DaaS).

Understanding DaaS and its Impact on Security

If you’re not familiar with Device as a Service, it’s a trend that has been reshaping device procurement over the last few years and is projected to grow dramatically. Simply speaking, Device as a Service shifts the procurement paradigm from purchasing computers as a capital expense, to leasing computers as a monthly subscription. Instead of paying upfront for a network of equipment that only delivers business value over time, DaaS customers pay over time for value they use as they go.
The advantages of DaaS that are most frequently promoted are the capital benefits, particularly preserving monthly cash flow. Other important benefits include the ability to swap out machines on-demand, quickly replacing outdated or non-working machines with fresh devices on the latest OS and software, and scaling your deployment up or down to accommodate workforce changes. This is where the security impact begins: just by having the up-to-date devices running the latest software, you’ll eliminate many of the most exploited vulnerabilities on your network. If you’re still running even one Windows 7 device on your network, this is a big deal indeed.
But there’s more.
When you migrate to DaaS, you’re not just leasing a set of devices, but depending on the service provider, you’re also getting a wealth of IT support and security services. This is typically also promoted as a budget saver, which is because it eliminates much of the overhead of burdening your IT department with constant device patches and upgrades. But it also puts the accountability of safeguarding your device security into a business contract with a Service Level Agreement.

DaaS and Red8’s Cybersecurity Roots

At Red8, we provide enterprise-class Cybersecurity and Cloud Security services to customers in Automotive, Finance, Media and Entertainment, Oil and Gas, Healthcare and Education. We secure mission-critical data centers for companies on the front-lines of industrial and state-sponsored Cyber Espionage. We secure networks that span offices, states and continents. We secure endpoints from tablets and PCs to desktop printers.
For Red8, security awareness is ever-present. So when we saw the emergence of DaaS as a procurement solution, we immediately gravitated toward it as a security solution. Because it doesn’t matter if we lock down Data Center access or harden a network if there are still devices on that network running outdated software or security patches. We see DaaS as a fundamental security measure that can effectively eliminate many of the most consistently damaging vulnerabilities that come from running out-of-date equipment.

Of course, DaaS isn’t a complete security solution…

It’s just one part of our security capabilities. Red8’s engineering and consulting teams provide industry-specific security assessments, next-generation firewall protections, digital asset management, identity management and access control, along with endpoint security management to minimize threats. Red8 also provides professional services for ensuring data security between systems and applications across secure high-performance networks, which is critical for companies moving sensitive data among distributed business systems.
If you’re concerned about keeping up with the pace of emerging endpoint security threats—particularly if you have Windows 7 devices on your network—we invite you to consider DaaS as an intelligent option to get your network secured, while keeping more cash in reserve.
Red8 is proud to partner with HP to provide DaaS solutions for a more secure, scalable and flexible IT network. If you’d like to learn how you can leverage our partnership to achieve your own health IT business objectives, connect with us on LinkedIn, or reach out directly to our team for a consultation at info@red8.com.