Cloud Desktops: An Emerging Solution to the Growing Problem of Theft

Long gone are the days when a company’s workforce packed up at 5:00, leaving desktop computers and all their contents safely behind the secure, locked doors of the office. A growing percentage of today’s workers – enabled by mobile devices such as laptops and tablets, along with ubiquitous wi-fi and flexible work hours – carry their devices, and much of their company’s sensitive data, wherever they go. According to a recent study by International Data Corporation, each year up to a staggering 91% of U.S. corporations lose a laptop or other portable device to theft or loss, and that number is growing annually as more of these devices are issued to a greater percentage of employees.

The direct costs associated with replacing a lost or stolen mobile device are obvious. Consider, however, the indirect costs to your organization:

• Lost data or work product
• Employee downtime during replacement (9-day average)
• Corporate IT resources for recovery and replacement

But guess what? The price tag increases exponentially if the loss or theft of a portable device results in a data breach, or even the mere threat of one. Numerous reports, including a 2012 Ponemon Institute study, show that the leading cause of data breaches among organizations is the loss or theft of a portable device such as a laptop or tablet. Depending on the amount and nature of the information residing on or accessible from the device, consequential expenses can include:

• Exposure of confidential information and/or intellectual property
• Internal and/or external notification procedures
• Ongoing monitoring of potential exposure
• Loss of customer confidence

So what can a company do to reduce the expense and other devastating effects of a lost or stolen laptop or tablet? The answer is simple: cloud desktops. By now you’ve likely heard about the convenience and efficiencies that come with putting your company’s desktops in the cloud. But consider the additional benefit of increased security. When your workforce is accessing and generating company data from a cloud desktop – whether from their laptop, tablet or smart phone – the information is not residing on that portable device. Because the information is being accessed from, and stored in, your company’s own private cloud environment, that data remains safe even if the device is stolen, lost or destroyed. Furthermore, unlike the time-consuming and resource-depleting process of recovering data that was stored locally on a stolen laptop, restoration of an employee’s cloud desktop can be achieved in minutes. Learn more about savings, convenience and peace-of-mind offered by a move to the cloud.

Blue Sentry is an advanced-tier Amazon Web Services (AWS) consulting partner specializing in application and data migrations, expert managed services and virtual desktops. Blue Sentry serves clients globally, with operations in North Carolina and South Carolina.