State and local governments are embracing modernization programs to whatever degree their budgetary constraints allow. While that is bringing a lot of new technology into state agencies, modernization also comes with greatly increased complexity.
That is where an easy-to-use platform such as VMware’s Workspace ONE suite can help. Deployed through the cloud as a service, it recently earned a spot in the approved product list for the StateRAMP verification process. The platform does a lot, but its main function is to manage increasingly complex enterprise environments, including both modern and legacy applications, ensuring that employees have the tools needed to do their jobs while simultaneously protecting state infrastructure from an increasingly hostile threat landscape.
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Supporting Legacy and Modern Applications
To deploy the platform, administrators must first compile a list of the various applications and services that they want their employees to access and use. Almost every application type is supported by Workspace ONE, including key legacy applications that are still in common use in state government. Once the catalog is created, blanket policies regarding access and use can be set, as well as individual rules for specific programs. Employees then access those programs and services through the platform, providing a seamless experience with everything in one place.
That catalog of managed applications is well protected, starting with a single sign-on interface that applies whatever security policies are required for each individual application or service. For example, a state can specify that only certain state-owned devices can access some applications, or it can lock down apps by any other factor including device location, user ID, time of day or anything else.
Securing Apps Even in Complex IT Environments
Certain applications can even require additional security verification, such as those provided by RADIUS, Symantec, RSA SecurID and others. From the perspective of users, they are simply accessing their work applications, which are conveniently gathered together for them, unaware of the large security stack watching over everything on the back end.
Creating a secure catalog of managed apps also makes onboarding new employees much easier, since you can just give them access to the catalog. They will inherit all of the security protocols for access more or less automatically. It also makes removing users extremely easy, because pulling access to the catalog immediately locks them out of every state application managed by it.
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There is even an option for using Workspace ONE with BYOD programs. Users can, if allowed, access the catalog on their personal devices and use whatever apps are permitted. In that case, users can prevent their employers from wiping their devices or snooping through them, but they will still be subject to blanket policies such as having updated security patches before being granted access to state applications.
A platform such as VMware Workspace ONE is becoming increasingly critical as offices modernize. It can offer state governments a secure but easy way to manage the chaos of their increasingly complex environments.
