Maximizing System Reliability in Virtual Desktop Environments with Deep Freeze

Inside every organization, there are two lions. Let’s call them “Convenience” and “Dependability”. The Convenience Lion wants everyone in the organization to work in a way that suits them. Do what’s fastest, easiest and most-effective, because this can increase efficiency and the employee experience.

The Dependability Lion, however, doesn’t like these methods. Dependability wants to do things reliably, safely and securely. This lion decries shoddy work and lapses in security. How can a company please both lions that lie within?

Virtual Desktops — Easy, Convenient, Efficient

A virtual desktop is an intangible workstation that’s separate from other physical devices. It offers a pre-configured view of operating systems and applications that staff can access online through different devices via Wi-Fi.

Most virtual desktop infrastructures (VDIs) are fairly similar. Virtual desktops are often customized, built in-house or by a third-party IT firm, with an organization’s specific needs in mind. The first step is typically to build a virtual machine that either remains on-premises at the organization’s facility or within a cloud computing environment. 

For on-premise virtual desktops, a company may use a hypervisor to manage real-time processes, allowing numerous people to use the virtual desktop. In cloud environments, the hypervisor and all the related infrastructure live in the cloud, where the virtual machine is fully accessible. 

Benefits of Virtual Desktops

Multiple people can connect to a virtual desktop through any endpoint, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone. Each time the user experience would be the same, so everyone experiences the identical desktop no matter where they are or how they access it.

A virtual desktop can optimize the user experience beyond what a physical workstation can because VDIs can utilize extra storage and other resources as necessary. Furthermore, the technology has progressed from catering to only a single workstation, and now multiple users can operate workspaces on a shared system.

Challenges of Using a Virtual Desktop

With multiple people using a virtual workstation, it can get confusing. It’s not always clear what applications are operating at a given moment. When too many things are running, this can slow the system down. Another issue is the VDI’s dependency on network stability. 

In order to offer a seamless user experience, VDI needs a stable and fast network connection. Any issues with network connectivity can lead to lag, or even disconnection from the virtual workstation. This can prove very disruptive to productivity and result in data loss. 

The issue is especially relevant for organizations with remote employees. Network speed and reliability are of the utmost importance and the VDI’s performance depends on it. That’s why it’s crucial to have a reliable network infrastructure to ensure optimal VDI performance and avoid potential issues.

And then there’s the matter of security.

VDIs and Cybersecurity

Without the right protection, virtual desktops are open to numerous security and IT issues. These include:

Network Security

Vulnerabilities in the network infrastructure, such as misconfigured firewalls or unpatched routers, can leave the system unprotected from cyberattacks. This issue is particularly concerning because of the remote access VDIs enable. This can introduce security risks, especially if an organization doesn’t use strong authentication and encryption procedures.  

Threat actors and cybercriminals can exploit weak passwords, lack of multi-factor authentication and insecure remote access protocols. That’s why proper staff training on security and best practices is key. Many think that using a virtual private network (VPN) solves all these issues. But the truth is, vulnerabilities in VPN software or configuration can compromise the entire virtual desktop environment.

Endpoint Security

If an endpoint device that accesses the virtual desktop is infected with malware or corrupted in some other way, the virtual desktop session could also be at risk. This is what makes Bring Your Own Device policies tricky. Encouraging staff to use their own devices can introduce significant security challenges, as organizations have less control over the security of personal devices. Patching and updating endpoint devices can reduce the threat, but it’s near impossible to ensure all users do so for all their devices regularly. 

Data Security and Privacy

While centralizing data in a VDI can simplify management and backups, it also creates a single point of failure. If the central storage becomes compromised, your organization could risk exposing a large amount of sensitive information. This makes robust access controls, encryption and regular security audits crucial to security.

As mentioned earlier, the devices of various staff are potential ports of entry for threat actors. But this is also true of the networks which remote workers use to access the virtual desktops. Cyber attackers can infiltrate insecure networks and seize data or operations. These attackers can use screen capturing or recording to steal information.

Virtualization Platform Security

Vulnerabilities in the hypervisor can allow attackers to gain access to the entire VDI. This can lead to a critical security incident. Furthermore, unmanaged or uncontrolled creation of virtual machines can result in security vulnerabilities and resource waste. But keeping track of all virtual machines and their security configurations can be challenging.  

User Security

An organization must also consider insider threats. This may bring to mind staff members twirling their mustaches and laughing maniacally, but often internal issues arise from negligence or ignorance. Nevertheless, honest mistakes can be just as damaging as malicious attacks. Outside actors can trick employees into revealing their credentials or clicking on malicious links through phishing or other social engineering attacks.

How Deep Freeze Can Help

Faronics developed Deep Freeze to help organizations with issues just like the ones listed above. Here’s how Deep Freeze can make VDIs more reliable, safer and efficient.

Reboot To Restore

The crown jewel of Deep Freeze is its Reboot To Restore technology. This makes virtual workstations indestructible. It allows you to easily reset your virtual desktop to a predetermined safe state after each session ends. No matter what changes occur during that session, simply turn it off and on again and — boom — you’re back to where you want to be.

During a session, a user may visit insecure websites or inadvertently introduce malware. Deep Freeze can “freeze” the workstation, discarding any changes upon reboot. This helps maintain a clean and secure system, even if the user engages in risky behavior.  

Malware Protection

Malware infections are a major concern for VDIs. By reverting the system to its original state, Deep Freeze Cloud effectively eliminates malware and ransomware. Even if an endpoint doesn’t have up-to-date antivirus software and is corrupted, Deep Freeze can neutralize any threat that comes from accessing the virtual desktop with it.

Simplified Endpoint Management

VDIs enable remote work, but off-premises team members frequently lack direct IT support. Deep Freeze simplifies endpoint administration by automating the restoration process. IT managers can remotely control Deep Freeze settings, maintaining consistent security across a plethora of devices.  

Deep Freeze: The King of VDI Jungle

Satisfy both hungry lions in your organization by using Deep Freeze to protect and enhance your virtual desktop. To learn more about how Deep Freeze can increase reliability in virtual desktop environments, please reach out to our experts today.