The View From NCS Technologies

While NCS Technologies is known for providing a wide variety of computing solutions to government, the military and the intelligence community, healthcare providers are among the most persistent visitors to our website.

Our customers approach VDI implementations many different ways. Some IT administrators look at the end-to-end approach, while others have built out a heavily virtualized data center but are only dipping their toes in the water with thin or zero client endpoints.

VDI benefits are understood: improving the reliability and scalability of their investments in storage and compute resources, better network performance, reduced complexity and administrative costs and improved security at the end points (desktop and mobile). But what is your implementation strategy?

In our ongoing discussions with customers, both individually and at trade shows, we find that IT administrators consider a transition to VDI for many reasons, including improving the reliability and scalability of their investments in storage and compute resources in the data center, better network performance, reduced complexity and administrative costs and improved security at the end points (desktop and mobile). 

The U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency's new operational role as network defender creates a formal relationship between DISA, U.S. Cyber Command and the command's military service components. The goal is to improve cyber security, but a successful strategy depends on a matrix of participating organizations adapting technical solutions and adopting enterprise management to improve efficiency, security and reliability. 

This partner community, together with suppliers, will meet at the Baltimore Convention Center next Tuesday through Thursday for the 2015 Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium. NCS Technologies will be there at Booth #5023. We invite you to meet us at the booth!

As has been demonstrated month after month, including news of the latest the December hack into Office of Personnel Management data, hackers never rest in seeking out security vulnerabilities in U.S. government civilian, military and intelligence networks.

3 Cyber Security Solutions Are A Must

At the Cyber Operations Symposium, NCS will demonstrate 3 cyber security technologies which are a must for every government agency.

The first cyber security solution is SecureView. SecureView represents the latest approach to the multi-level network problem. SecureView is a multi-level virtual platform which allows a user to run multiple securely isolated environments on a single PC, provide hardware-enforced security and deliver superior virtualization in the most demanding environments. NCS will demonstrate AFRL-certified solutions featured on the Hardware Compatibility List. 

The next technology which is critical to improved security, manageability and IT efficiency is a comprehensive VDI network solution. NCS will discuss its VDI solutions which includes all three elements (storage, compute & network), software and services, and endpoints.

IT departments remain on a continuous treadmill of cyber defense, updates and patches. Managers realize their networks remain vulnerable at the weakest spot in the perimeter, often a desktop lagging behind on security updates, or an operating system breached because of an exposure to a zero-day vulnerability. This area is the third solution we will discuss and showcase at the Cyber Operations Symposium, virtual PCoIP zero client endpoints. Zero clients provide super strong security on the front lines (at the desktop or laptop). 

This spring, the Department of Defense announced their new cyber protection strategy, which ultimately aims to prevent cyberattacks by nation-states and hacker groups alike. The DoD emphasized the need to strengthen both its cyber defense and cyber deterrence posture in order to best protect against cyberattacks of potentially significant consequence.

Although nation-states, particularly China and Russia, are adept at exploiting holes in security, equally worrisome threats come from hacker organizations affiliated with terror groups or gangs who perpetrate criminal cyberattacks for profit. Hackers of all stripes never rest in seeking out security vulnerabilities, while IT departments remain on a continuous treadmill of cyber defense, updates and patches. IT managers realize their networks remain vulnerable at the weakest spot in the perimeter, often a desktop lagging behind on security updates, or an operating system breached because of an exposure to a zero-day vulnerability. This constant grind leaves cyber security forces overworked and exhausted. 

Although organizations have begun their leap to Virtualization and begin to embrace zero clients more and more, end users still have beefy workstations that they use on a day-to-day basis.

VDI, A Strong Addition to Your IT Security Strategy

Cyberattacks and data breaches are a ubiquitous problem in today’s data-driven world, and often result in dire consequences for the compromised party and the IT organization as a whole. For the government and commercial sector, the threat only seems to grow. For instance, in the government sector, the rate of cyberattacks is on the rise. Between 2010 and 2013, attacks on government agencies rose 35%.

NCS is active at HIMSS15 this week, Booth 7661, McCornick Place, Chicago! HIMSS15 is the industry's largest healthcare event.

We are featuring a range of solutions applicable to healthcare, including desktop and mobile zero clients, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and mobile computer cart technologies.

VDI and desktop virtualization are increasingly being considered as an important tool as data breaches continue to be discovered in the healthcare industry.

Organizations Are Vulnerable and Damage Is Expensive 

The reality is that healthcare providers of all sizes are vulnerable. Hospitals are especially targeted and in need of strong security. Beyond loss of business and legal action, there is also the inevitable damage to reputation and brand, and the lost productivity of implementing forensics, remediation and regulatory compliance (HIPAA Privacy and HIPAA Security rules). In short, this an expensive nightmare that can and should be avoided.

Virtual and Mobile Solutions Will Help

Innovative NCS solutions featured at Booth 7661 address these issues.

It makes sense that data security is of vital importance in the financial sector. After all, financial data is among the most sensitive type of information that businesses possess, and is probably the most desirable information to would-be hackers. Companies that work with financial data are responsible for protecting this information- and failing to properly do so can have potentially disasterous outcomes for the business and its customers.

VDI and desktop virtualization are increasingly being considered as an important tool as data breaches continue to be discovered in the healthcare industry.

Everyone has heard about the breach involving Anthem, Inc., the second biggest health insurer in the U.S. It affects some 80 million customers and employees and is said to be the largest hack to a healthcare entity ever. Either you personally are affected or you know someone who is.

But Anthem isn't alone. Just in the past year, there are many other healthcare organizations reporting sizable breaches. They include Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Texas Health and Human Services, and Community Health Systems, to name a few.

Organizations of All Sizes Are Vulnerable

The reality is that healthcare providers of all sizes are vulnerable. Hospitals are especially targeted and in need of strong security.

I found a recent news item especially interesting in this context. According to a TransUnion Healthcare report, more than half of recent hospital patients are willing to switch healthcare providers if their current provider undergoes a data breach. And the younger you are (and likely more savvy about computers and the internet), the more likely you are to ditch your provider for poor performance.

The Damage to Organizations Is Immediate -- and Expensive 

Data breaches are painful for everyone. Looking at the healthcare provider, if the organization is large enough, class-action lawsuits may be filed in the first 24 hours after public notification. But beyond the courtroom, there is also the inevitable damage to reputation and brand, and the lost productivity of implementing forensics, remediation and regulatory compliance (HIPAA Privacy and HIPAA Security rules). In short, this an expensive nightmare that can and should be avoided. 

IT administrators must consider all the places in the network where Protected Health Information (PHI) and electronic PHI (ePHI) are gathered and stored. Strategies for protecting the datacenter can be implemented at the server but the challenge remains about keeping ahead of threats at the desktop level.

Zero Clients Help Solve the Data Breach Puzzle

One of the most promising approaches involves protecting sensitive information with zero clients at the end point. Healthcare providers are constantly accessing sensitive patient records with very personal information.  Zero clients allow you to enable a remote or mobile worker and still comply with HIPAA, PHI and ePHI by restricting the ability to download and store data locally.  Nothing stored, nothing lost.