In the quest to get IT infrastructure ready for mobile initiatives, security is understandably top-of-mind. When IDG Research surveyed IT leaders on mobility technologies, the top three responses were security-related:

• Protection of business-critical apps, data and files
• Securing and optimizing network performance
• Policy management and compliance for systems, user access and data

This indicates that security is key for a successful VDI and Mobility program. One way to accomplish this is by virtualizing and centralizing apps and data as well as their security controls, allowing access to those who need them.

As more users access applications and data remotely from disparate locations or devices, it creates a strain on the enterprise network. Another way to ensure security is by embracing a network solution that optimizes, secures and controls the delivery of all enterprise and cloud applications and services, regardless of the user’s access point.

The third area of focus centers on user access administration and policy management, fostering a culture of security awareness and keeping with security policies. Technologies that can provide IT with granular control over what data is available to whom and from where are important. Moreover, having end-to-end visibility into traffic and user behavior, with reporting and auditing capabilities, can help IT meet compliance requirements.

A mixture of technologies and tools to protect business-critical apps, data and files can enable enterprises to achieve their security objectives. However, in order to be effective and adopted by the organization, security programs and policies MUST:

• Perform well and work the way users expect
• Be easy to use
• Work consistently across different devices