Lansford Roberts, Author at IT Business Edge https://www.itbusinessedge.com/author/lroberts/ Wed, 25 Oct 2023 21:41:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 Microsoft Azure Identity Management: Features & Pricing https://www.itbusinessedge.com/it-management/microsoft-azure-identity-management-features-pricing/ Wed, 13 Oct 2021 18:09:22 +0000 https://www.itbusinessedge.com/?p=139705 Azure provides ID validations & data access systems to help guard sensitive data, apps & resources. Here are its features & pricing options.

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Since the first concept and launch of Cloud Services almost 20 years ago, cloud providers have been on a constant security improvement race in order to offer the best solutions to keep the user data safe and better management of who has access to this data. Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions have been provided since the early ’90s, as an additional layer of security over your business’s network of teams or departments. It gives you full control of who has the authorization to perform certain actions or control resources within your enterprise.

As an organization administrator it is critical to have total visibility of your environment structure and avoid being affected by compromised credentials and data breach.

Microsoft Azure Identity and Access Management

Being the only giant enterprise operating system at the time, Microsoft’s efforts of providing a reliable service came also with the need to provide a solution for the compliance and management of each individual resource access, this gave birth to Microsoft Active Directory(AD), now living in a cloud computing, and offering services to organizations across the globe Microsoft’s Azure Identity and Access Management (IAM) is an identity validations and data access system that helps guard sensitive data, applications, and other critical resources on data centers and into the cloud by assigning specific roles and permissions within the environment such as organization administrator, editor, or viewer.

Also read: Using Identity Access Management to Secure WFH Networks

Microsoft Azure Performance Features

Azure IAM security best practices enables you to provide user-specific security credentials and assign roles to each organization created in your environment. Some features that allow this type of security level are:

Reverse Proxy

Using Azure AD Application Proxy, on-prem applications such as Internet information Services (IIS), Sharepoint and Outlook Web application, can be published in your private network while still providing secure access to members out of your network. This feature gives remote access to various on-prem applications with a wide variety of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications supported by Azure Active Directory. Using a cloud-reverse-proxy, employees may login to company apps remotely through their own devices and be authenticated.

Azure RBAC

Azure RBAC is a credential validation system that is integrated in Azure Resource Manager that provides access management of resources within Azure cloud services. RBAC enables you to control every section or access responsibility a user has. You may restrict a user to be active or manage only virtual networks and another user of your choice to control all resources in an organization. This may be done applying some Azure predefined roles:

  • Owner: Access is granted to all resources including the right to assign and approve the access of other members.
  • Contributor: Can manage and create all kinds of Azure resources but will not be able to grant access to other users.
  • Reader: Can only view existing Azure resources.
  • User Access Admin: Enables you to manage all user access to Azure resources.

Security Monitoring, Alerts and ML-based Reports

Identifying inconsistent access patterns can help you protect your company, this can all be done using security monitoring, alerts and machine learning. Usage reports can be accessed using Azure AD gaining visibility of the security and integrity of your organization; these reports fall into different categories:

  • Anomaly reports: Contain sign-in events that have been found to be anomalous. The goal is to make users aware of such activity and enable users to determine whether an event is suspicious.
  • Integrated Application reports: Provide insights of how cloud applications are being used in your environment. Thousands of cloud applications can be integrated to Azure AD.
  • Error reports: Errors that might occur while provisioning external applications or accounts will be displayed here.
  • User-specific reports: Sign on and off activity tracker.
  • Activity logs: The last 24 hours, last 7 days, or last 30 days, of activities in your organization will be displayed here, group activity changes, password resets, and registration activity will also be displayed.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication method requires more than a single method of verification, like relying solely on a password. Multi-Factor helps to protect the access of date and applications whilst adding a second layer of  authentication such as confirmation by; Phone, text messages, authentication apps or random generation verification codes

Identity Protection

Identity Protection is a service that provides an overall view into potential vulnerabilities and risks detections that affect your organization’s identity. Taking part in Azure AD Anomalous Activity reports it makes the detection of real-time anomalies using a  new risk detection report.

Azure AD Identity Protection

Risk Investigation

Azure admins can review previous detections and take immediate actions on them as needed. Three types of reports are available when investigating identity protection:

  • Risky Users: to find users at risk, detect details, risky sign-ins history, confirm or dismiss user compromise and block users from signing in.
  • Risky sign-ins: Contains a detailed report on sign-ins that are classified as risks, compromised, safe, remediated or dismissed risks, device, application and location information for the past 30 days.
  • Risk detections: Informs about the last 90 days data, risk detections including type, risks triggered at the same time, signing attempt locations and links to more details on Microsoft Cloud App Security.

Also read: Top Privileged Access Management (PAM) Solutions 2021

Privileged Identity Management

Users may need to carry out privileged operations in Microsoft 365 or Azure environments as well as other  Microsoft online services or other SaaS. This means that organizations need to give users privileged and permanent access in Azure AD. These accesses may pose a threat to cloud-hosted resources since organizations can’t monitor enough the users and what they are doing with these privileges.


Azure AD IAM help to mitigate the risk of compromised access or breaches by performing the following actions:

  • See which users are Azure AD administrators.
  • Enable on-demand, just-in-time (JIT) administrative access to Microsoft services such as Microsoft 365 and Intune.
  • Get reports about administrator access history and changes in administrator assignments.
  • Get alerts about access to a privileged role.

Azure AD Identity Access Management Pricing

Azure AD IAM comes in different editions based on your business requirements. There are  three tiers: free is available with one of the commercial services and two premium versions available through Microsoft representatives, the Cloud Solution Provider and Open Volume License Program.

  • Free Version: Is included by default when a subscription for a commercial service is processed, e.g. Dynamics 365, Azure, Power Platform and Intune.
  • Premium P1: Architectured to provide business that requires a  more complex identity and access management control. It enables hybrid users to access on-prem and cloud capabilities, all the needs for information work and admins in hybrid organizations will be provided in this tier.
  • Premium P2: Includes every feature of all other Azure Active Directory editions and also comes enhanced with advanced identity protection solutions and privileged identity management capabilities.

Azure AD Identity Access Management can be used and licensed in a few different ways, based on your business needs. Some users already partake on Azure Identity Access Management but using other Microsoft solutions, prices for this services are offered as follows:

Purchase MethodFreePremium P1Premium P2
Microsoft representativeIncluded with Office 365Included with Office 365Included with Office 365
OnlineIncluded with Office 365$6 user/month*$9 user/month*

Read next: Best Identity Access Management (IAM) Solutions & Tools 2021

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Why Business Continuity Management Matters Now More Than Ever https://www.itbusinessedge.com/it-management/bcm-matters/ Thu, 30 Sep 2021 16:53:36 +0000 https://www.itbusinessedge.com/?p=139638 Enterprises need business continuity management to help them recover from disasters quickly. Here are tips to help map out a plan.

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There is no such thing as a truly fail proof business. Every business model is subject to some amount of damage from outside sources. Managing mandates and regulations as they come in takes more time than most businesses can handle on top of all the necessary footwork of daily profits and distribution of goods or services. Even in emergencies, lacking the forethought to deal with new, unique scenarios can halt or even end a business.

We’ve had to learn it the hard way from the COVID-19 pandemic, but no business is completely safe from near-sightedness when it comes to managing and planning for the future. Business continuity management (BCM) is more important now than ever as businesses and their workforce adapt to a work-from-anywhere model, an increase in ransomware attacks, and constant global economic shifts due to social and environmental changes.

The Value of BCM

Business continuity management is, at its core, the planning for  emergency situations in the future. This includes natural and digital disasters, essential backups, record tracking, and other data management concerns, which keep the most important parts of the business in view so that they can be easily and quickly recovered and implemented in the future. It’s a wide scope of fields that all come together to form a network of checks and balances to ensure that even when the worst-case scenario comes, businesses can efficiently and effectively recover. 

Why is BCM Critical Now?

The COVID-19 pandemic  wiped out millions of jobs because businesses couldn’t pivot to necessary and recommended guidelines fast enough. Those  who did adapt, and followed the recommended guidelines for this process, in the long run couldn’t handle the drastic downturn in revenue and lacked the funding to maintain the business long enough to reach a state where regulations were levied enough to return to normal operations. 

However, BCM isn’t about predicting every potential tragic event. It’s about preparing buffers and safeties to be able to cope with natural disasters, extended power outages, disruptions to networks, personal computers or servers by having a detailed recuperation plan outlining steps to reestablish productivity and/or manual workaround should a system fail.

Also read: Work-From-Anywhere Requires More Resilient IT

Preparing a Business Continuity Plan Together

To execute an efficient business continuity agenda, some steps need to be fulfilled for it to be a solid, successful contingency plan.

Be Realistic

Make a true assessment and think of all possible disaster situations and craft a realistic plan of action followed by as many contingency plans as possible. There is no way to plan for every possible disruption that could happen but you should try.

Make it efficient 

Managing a business is complex, therefore your business continuity plan will not be simple, but it needs to be executed efficiently, with at hand resources and in a timely manner; having a backup plan should always come with good execution timing.

Adaptability is a must

Although you will have most of your plans in place and ready to be executed at the first sign of disaster, nothing will prepare you for those curveballs that will be thrown at you. Making room for flexibility should you need to re-strategize or improvise on the go is a critical requirement. In a world of constant change, being able to adapt defines the lifespan of most successful businesses.

Test your plan

The only way you can grasp the idea of a solid plan for your business is testing the waters. Plan for business disruption and every now and then test the waters; make sure your team demonstrates the steps expected during a disruption, move your back-up and verify your software, test record validations or alternative communications methods.

There are a variety of software that simplify the process of creating and deploying your business continuity plan. Implementing BCM software will have all the advantages of creating a stable, sustainable plan for continuity after a disaster event without the need to make it up as you go. It allows flexible access to emergency and contingency business plans, recovering data that can be backed up locally.  Some  BCM software comes with integrated cloud storage support, allowing access to your “Emergency Tool Kit” from any device at any moment. 

Passing on software assistance and using self-contained methods can work as long as a team is put together to address the concerns properly. Data technicians will have to review and revise current storage space and allocate enough room to do full scale backups of everything regularly. BCM software is available to do all of that at various levels of ease and efficiency, with some initial load input and configurations.

Also read: Top Managed Detection & Response (MDR) Service Providers 2021

BCM Costs and Effects

The cost of not enacting BCM is that one day, when something bad happens, you will be left with nothing and have to start from scratch. That’s the worst outcome. Second best would be losing an entire day’s worth of progress due to that one unfortunate disaster that was outside of all rational planning or expectation and then having to spend a day playing catch up, advancing a moving deadline, and jeopardizing future projects that were supposed to be started while the recovery is still ongoing. The greatest cost is time, which no amount of money can buy back. 

However, all that time can be saved with proper BCM software and preparation to use it. The lost day of work can be resumed immediately once the disaster scenario has passed and no data will be corrupted or lost. It depends on the vendor chosen. Some rely on physical backups using on-site hard drives and data, others utilize network technology and access large storage on cloud servers that hold protected copies of data that is routinely saved and uploaded. The up-front and hosting costs are worth having that layer of protection to keep your business running. 

Read next: Safeguarding Infrastructures with Disaster Preparedness

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What to Expect from Wi-Fi 6e https://www.itbusinessedge.com/networking/what-to-expect-from-wi-fi-6e/ Thu, 16 Sep 2021 16:12:39 +0000 https://www.itbusinessedge.com/?p=139568 Wi-Fi 6e is already here. Learn how it is different from Wi-Fi 6 and what you will need to upgrade.

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Wi-Fi stands for wireless fidelity and is shorthand for wireless internet connections across great distances. It led to the rise of the mobile smartphone market and utility of always-connected devices that never need to be in range of a single cord to use internet services. The technology for wireless has been innovated over the years and is anticipated to improve by  greater leaps and bounds as companies tap into the wider spectrum of frequencies that the Federal Communications Commission opened up last year. Wi-Fi 6e is the next, newest leap.

What is Wi-Fi 6e?

Wi-Fi 6e defines any wireless service that will be operating under the newly accessed 6GHz frequency spectrum. All Wi-Fi functions the same way: by waves. These waves are sent across a spectrum, a broad span of frequencies that range from MegaHertz to GigaHertz. The larger the spectrum, the more data can be transferred and the faster it will go. 6e is finally stepping into the as-of-yet untapped potential of the 6GHz frequency — the largest spectrum by far — which also means it will be the least congested and easiest to use.

How is it Different from Wi-Fi 6?

It’s faster, for one. It will enable large scale data transfers to occur much faster, enabling the transfer of whole Gigabits per second. Entire movies could be pre-streamed and loaded with no buffering within moments of being accessed. Increased speed also means lower latency; data will be accessed much faster than it used to be, allowing for more instantaneous transfers of files. Video calls will be smoother, with no lag or waiting to receive and respond to messages from across the world. The same can be said for game streaming — time between input to servers will be reduced to a point where nearly no latency will be felt. Considering how fast 5G networks and currently existing wireless performs now, it may even rival the speeds of direct Ethernet connection for devices.

Features of Wi-Fi 6e

Because of the wider channels there will be less congestion. Many people using one router or the same service will no longer have to worry about bottlenecking or throttling the network speed if they’re all using it at once. It can and will fit as much data as a single network can send, and then some. A higher frequency also means more potential outgoing connections, which means companies running servers to a large number of outside connections won’t need to worry about limiting data usage or how frequently they should be allowed to send files. No more “this data can’t be accessed” messages. Multiple users can download heavy data packs for essential work at the same time from the same source. Having multiple devices on one network will no longer be a hindrance, it will be the expected norm.

Also read: Data Management with AI: Making Big Data Manageable

Who Benefits From Wi-Fi 6e?

Everyone from corporations to everyday consumers will benefit from this new technology. It’s meant to service the widest possible reach of users because it is the widest band of frequency yet launched for wireless devices. It’s significantly faster and easier to stream from than the currently available picks, such as the 5G networks, which are still based on the old and congested 5GHz frequencies. 

Gaming is increasingly taking a larger portion of internet space, whether it’s people downloading games directly, streaming content to their devices, or sending information to servers in multiplayer games. The elimination of latency and lag between users will vastly improve interconnectivity across global regions, allowing for regional servers to seamlessly communicate in near real time.

What New Challenges Does Wi-Fi 6e Bring?

This is the biggest leap forward for wireless technology since 1989. The 6GHz spectrum more than quadruples the amount of usable airwaves that data can travel along. It’s easily considered to be the future of all internet and information centered technology. However, we’ve only just entered this new territory. The hardware still has to catch up, and old hardware won’t be capable of getting there. New devices, wireless routers, will need to be made that can catch these airwaves in order to make use of it. 

Data sharing centers and ISPs will obviously have the first claim of them, but this means a new generation of computer technology, smartphones, and other advanced devices will have to replace the ones that currently exist. A lot of upgrading will need to be done. In addition, 6GHz is a shorter wavelength; it’s four times bigger than the previous spectrum but it doesn’t cover the same distance. Data will be transferred instantly, but to reach a destination across the world it will have to transfer through multiple changing stations. The transfer to and from there will be nearly instant, but until the technology to handle it catches up with the resource, the speed might not be noticeable up front.

Is Wi-Fi 6e Worth it Now?

We will have to wait and see. As with all new technological innovations, the first steps are always the slowest and most awkward. Wi-Fi 6e capable routers have only just started to be produced. Early adopters will be taking them all up to test the capabilities of this new wavelength of data sharing. For now, it’s not commercially viable, but if you’ve ever lost time waiting for a big file to download to a wireless device, or lost money when a page had to buffer a little too long, Wi-Fi 6e is the forthcoming solution.

Read next: 5 Digital Transformation Hurdles and How to Get Over Them

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Top 10 In-Demand IT Certifications 2022 https://www.itbusinessedge.com/it-management/it-certifications/ Fri, 27 Aug 2021 22:54:02 +0000 https://www.itbusinessedge.com/?p=139468 Businesses are accelerating digital transformation, increasing the need for knowledgeable IT staff. Here are the best IT certifications to get now.

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IT jobs deal with technical procedures or software that requires a specialty, so becoming certified in a specialized area demonstrates to employers that you have the distinct skill set needed to succeed in that role. An IT certification is a terrific way to build and showcase your technical skills on a resume as you work to break into the field. It also helps to provide a quick sight validation of your technical knowledge, skill or proficiency, to hiring managers and staffing members and can prove useful as you aim to further your career path.

In the near future large companies will invest millions of dollars — and some more than a billion dollars — to transform their business into a digital environment. Given that, top specialized engineering talent can be anywhere from three to ten times more productive than the average engineer. A survey conducted by the consulting firm Global Business Solutions found that the most productive positions were those that were remote and only required a high level professional with experience. For example, a software architect in India who had a specialized IT certification and worked remotely in the US would  be able to build a new product within weeks, rather than years. As a result, companies are hiring engineers who are able to prove their knowledge in a competitive yet growing industry, and these engineers are not just able, they’re willing. That’s why we have chosen only the most relevant certifications that will enable you to learn, stay current and apply unique expertise in a modern technological transition.

Also read: Top Tech Job Opportunities You Should Know About

Top IT Certifications to Get Now

Here are the best IT certifications to consider if you are looking to boost your IT credentials with the digital enterprise space. 

VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization

VCP-DCV Certification validates candidate skills to manage, implement, and troubleshoot a vSphere infrastructure, using best practices to provide a flexible, powerful, and secure foundation for business agility that can accelerate the transformation to cloud computing.

This certification ranks highly, given VMware’s ability to help organizations improve experiences, streamline operations and workflows, and transition to digital environments.

To obtain this certificate, VMware requires candidates to attend at least one course offered by an authorized training provider. In addition to attending, candidates should have at least six months of experience working with the latest version of vSphere, VMware’s server virtualization software.

On average VCP-DCV certified professional salary is $132,947.

Take the VMware Practice Test

CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor

CISA is the global standard for professionals who have a career in information systems, in particular, auditing, control, and security. CISA professionals demonstrate to employers that they have technical skills, knowledge, and proficiency to meet the dynamic challenges facing organizations. The CISA exam lasts four hours and consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. The exam tests candidates’ knowledge of five job practice domains. 

CISA candidates must have a minimum of five years of professional experience in information systems auditing, control, or security. There are several work experience substitutions and waivers up to a maximum of three years that candidates can satisfy.

Candidates also are required to undertake 20 hours of training per year and a minimum of 120 hours in a three-year period.

On average CISA certified professional salary is $134,460

Take the CISA Practice Test

Nutanix Certified Professional – Multicloud Infrastructures

NCP-MCI certification confirms your ability to administer the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Platform and successfully manage and deploy Nutanix products in your organization.

Professionals with this certification are able to deploy and administer Nutanix AOS nodes, blocks, and clusters, and can use Prism Element to monitor, manage, troubleshoot, and administer AHV hosts and virtual machines.

Once you have achieved the CNP-MCI certification, it will remain valid until Nutanix releases the next major version of the certification.

When you earn NCP-MCI certification you join an exclusive community of Nutanix certified personnel and earn more tangible benefits, including:

• Use of the NCP-MCI logo

• NCP-MCI Digital Badge from Credly/Acclaim

• Access to the Nutanix Certification store

• Discounts on Nutanix events

• Early access to educational programs

On average an NCP-MCI certified professional salary is $142,810.

PMP – Project Management Professional

One of the world’s leading project management certifications is the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, which proves leadership experience in projects and expertise in any way of working.

The PMP certification is designed by project professionals, for project professionals and validates that you are among the best, highly skilled in:

  • People: Emphasizing the soft skills you need to effectively lead a project team in today’s changing environment.
  • Process: Reinforcing the technical aspects of successfully managing projects.
  • Business Environment: Highlighting the connection between projects and organizational strategy.

PMP is ranked  as the top project management certification in North America because it demonstrates you have the specific skills employers seek, dedication to excellence, and the capacity to perform at the highest levels. 

On average a PMP certified professional salary is $148,906. 

Take the PMP Practice Test

CISM – Certified Information Security Manager

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification denotes expertise in information security governance, program development and management, incident management, and risk management. It confirms a high level of technical competence and qualification for leadership and management roles.

CISM validates your ability as a professional to manage, design, and assess an enterprise’s information security. To be certified,  you will need at least five years of paid, relevant work experience in two or more of the eight domains of the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge.        

On average a CISM certified professional salary is $149,246.

Take the CISM Practice Test

CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional

CISSP certification denotes expertise in cybersecurity and years of experience. Earning the CISSP certification has been compared to earning a master’s degree in IT security.

To be certified you will also need at least five years of paid, relevant work experience in two or more of the eight domains of the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge.    

With this certification, you can land jobs as Chief Information Security Officer, Security Manager, IT Director/Manager within others.

On average a CISSP certified professional salary is $151,853.

Take the CISSP Practice Test

CRISC – Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control

CRISC certification is an enterprise risk management qualification, praised by professionals looking to build upon their existing knowledge and experience identifying and implementing information system controls and knowledge on IT/Business risk.

This learning path is for you if you are interested in becoming one of the following:

•IT professionals

•Risk professionals

•Control professionals

•Business analysts

•Project managers

Due to their ability to both provide greater value to organizations and perform risk management tasks more efficiently, CRISC holders advance their careers by securing new jobs, attaining more senior positions, and securing higher salaries than their peers.

On average a CRISC certified professional salary is $151,995.

Take the CRISC Practice Test

AWS Certified Solutions Architect

Since almost every industry has incorporated cloud services into their business, workloads are being transferred to the cloud. AWS certification promises better career opportunities, offering education in cloud technology trends and access to ongoing updates. This certification validates the in-depth understanding of AWS cloud technologies and is particularly suitable for:

·   Developers

·   PMP’s

·   DevOps pros

·   Administrators

·   Cloud solution architects

You will need some knowledge of AWS cloud so theAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is recommended before taking this certification.

On average, an AWS Solutions Architect salary at an Associate level is $159,033.

Take the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice Test

Google Certified Professional (GCP) Cloud Architect

A GCP Cloud Architect certification shows that you have the skills to design, develop, and manage a secure, scalable cloud architecture using GCP technologies. You will be able to design and plan a cloud solution structure that is scalable, reliable, fault-tolerant, and suited for several use cases, including financial services, gaming, IoT, autonomous vehicles, and much more. The certification also offers skills in designing robust security architectures that limit access to networks and data IAM, ACLs, encryption keys types.

The GCP exam takes around two hours to complete, it costs $200, and can be taken online or at a local testing center. Google recommends at least two-three years of industry experience, including at least one year of designing and managing solutions using GCP for anyone wanting to take the GCP certification exam.

On average, a GCP Cloud Architect  salary averages  at $169,029.

Take the GCP Cloud Architect Practice Test

Google Certified Professional Data Engineer

As a Professional Data Engineer, you are responsible for making data-driven decisions by collecting, transforming, and publishing data. An engineer should also be able to leverage, deploy, and continuously train pre-existing machine learning models.

Data engineering is a profession that it’s constantly growing and is currently one of the most in-demand disciplines in the industry. This year, the Google Cloud Certified Professional Data Engineer certification is associated with the highest paying salary in IT. You must be self-directed and comfortable supporting the data needs of multiple teams, systems, and products. You will get to optimize or even redesign an organization’s data architecture to support their next generation of products and data initiatives.

On average,  a GCP Professional Data Engineer  salary averages  at $171,749.

Take the Google Certified Professional Data Engineer Practice Test

Choosing an IT Certification 

Now is time to do your homework, figure out your career path, and get ready to pursue it. Some in-demand certifications might change over time, but this list gives you a direct insight into the professions that will lock in the most value and compensation in the market for the upcoming years.

Read next: Best DevOps Certifications to Have Now

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Best Use Cases for Virtual Data Rooms https://www.itbusinessedge.com/security/best-use-cases-for-virtual-data-rooms/ Tue, 24 Aug 2021 16:03:17 +0000 https://www.itbusinessedge.com/?p=139429 Virtual data rooms are a secure way to store documents that will be accessed by multiple people at the same time. Here is how VDRs are used.

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 Online spaces are becoming the standard way of exchanging data. Faxing has mostly been phased out and other, similar platforms like emailing and peer-to-peer uploads have also been outmoded as new alternatives have risen in the open market. What matters most in the exchange of essential data within, or between, a business isn’t just the speed or scope of the packages: it’s security.

Virtual Data Rooms (VDRs) or “Deal Rooms” are areas where meetings can be conducted in a controlled setting. Only select individuals can gain access to them, which controls the spread of the information exchanged within. This is the new way to conduct business and is being utilized and innovated more and more frequently. It shouldn’t be neglected by any business that uses disclosure agreements or brokers deals out of public view.

Team leaders and vendors alike should make room in their infrastructure or plans for expansion for at least one VDR solution. It’s the long-distance alternative to the board room meeting or the secret lounge in the penthouse suite. It’s where the business deals of the future are done today.

What is a Virtual Data Room?

The specifics of a VDR come down to the technology behind them and their primary usage. VDRs are cloud computing solutions to private, clandestine data deals that use secured, encrypted access that can only be given by the main user — the owner — to various clients and partners. This privileged access-only parameter makes it more secure than email, which is shared with multiple recipients and with the storage server. What happens in a VDR only exists within that VDR and isn’t stored anywhere.

These services offer real-time data exchange in various forms. Some come with integrated video chatting or audio chatting, which allows clients to connect directly and effortlessly using their own devices. VDRs also take and dispense data in the form of documents that must only be opened by specific individuals. Once the VDR is closed down, the cloud service wipes it out, leaving nothing behind; reducing the risk of essential contracts being intercepted or leaked.

The VDR can’t be entered without permission and permission is only sent by the owner. Even the vendor, who distributes the software solution and hosts the VDR on their server, won’t be allowed in or know what’s going on. It’s for trusted eyes only.

Also read: Mainframes Still Matter in the Digital Business Transformation Age

Why Virtual Data Rooms are Relevant

Any major business has had at least one “email scare”, a message meant for one person sent to another, or to many, with a single misclick. Some of these are harmless memorandums or personal messages. Embarrassing, but not risky. Some of these emails have compromised major corporations in ways that they still haven’t recovered from yet.

Security is key. Leaks are happening more often than ever. Even major corporations keep losing secrets through their employees, or more likely, through interception. Email passwords can be guessed, or brute-forced with enough effort to let strangers into the intranet.

VDRs exist on an extranet. They are hosted by a third party and only exist temporarily. No information is stored that can be leaked. It all goes to the eyes that were invited to see it. This makes it essential in financial dealings, acquisitions, mergers, and other major business decisions that can’t go public without careful preparation.

VDRs are the internet equivalent of inviting clients over to a room with no windows, an airtight door, and no running electricity for cameras or wires to work in secret. They are digital vaults where information comes, goes, and are then sealed off completely.

Why Should You Consider VDRs?

VDRs offer an attractive proposition to your client. It allows them to engage in highly private deals and crucial, of-the-moment sales decisions from any place they feel safe. They can be at home, in their own office, or far away from anyone who could leak information — essentially allowing them to  conduct their meeting with their safety guaranteed. It eliminates the need to host a physical space and exchange printed, written data in the form of folders or documents. Those can be sent digitally and read on a device of the client’s choosing.

The main benefit is safety. The extra benefit is the long-range potential it offers. Proper use of VDRs to set up appointments and meetings can, for example,  turn a local business into a regional one as they can invite new clients from all over to engage with them fairly and equally.

Using a VDR shows compliance with rising standards for security and communication. They are easy, straightforward, and give a secure place for a team to gather data and information together without using up all of the free space on their own computers or servers. It can help a team within a company or help gather a team of clients from outside.

Also read: 10 Ways Companies Screw Up Their Cyber Investigations

What Businesses Should Use a VDR

Any business that deals with confidential data should use one to handle the transactions in a secure way. This includes financial institutions that need to go over sensitive client information without including any outside members in the meeting. IPOs and real estate asset management are traditionally upheld through VDRs.

Tech companies can also make use of them to share and go over code or sensitive data that is essential to operations. Only the right eyes will see it and only the right hands will manage it. The same goes for clients who are trusting their precious code to only the most qualified professionals within an organization. Code isn’t something that can be printed and brought over in a folder. It belongs on a computer and must be shared between computers.

Any business that manages data in documents, legal firms, or financial advisors, can make use of a VDR. Those are documents that need to be always handled and controlled privately, and that privacy is hard to keep when they’re on a server that other people can access. Consider a VDR the lock on the file cabinet to keep all those folders and documents safely in your control.

The Future of VDRs

As long as there are security concerns, VDRs will continue to improve to meet those concerns. Security is the main struggle that the VDR seeks to overcome. There are many ways to send large pieces of data quickly between users, but one wrong move could send that data to hundreds who shouldn’t receive it.

The future of VDRs will be born through competition to see which service offers the most security and additional features. Chatting functions will become increasingly common so important meetings won’t have to be held on more public platforms like Zoom, which often suffer from connection issues and lack security functions.

VDRs will also become the future for many companies. Anyone who considers having private meetings to go over private documents can do that with a VDR without leaving their office or even their home. Having that much control over an environment will be a very attractive prospect for many clients as well who don’t want to or can’t leave their home but must conduct business regardless.

Virtual Data Rooms are set to become a standard of modern business and they will only improve with time.

Read next: Detecting Vulnerabilities in Cloud-Native Architectures

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