{"id":45189,"date":"2020-03-26T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=45189"},"modified":"2024-11-14T18:05:54","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T23:05:54","slug":"remote-system-monitoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/remote-system-monitoring","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Tabs on Remote Systems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

IT admins need maximum visibility into their system fleets, even if their end users are working remotely. Thankfully, keeping tabs on remote systems with a cloud directory service gives IT admins the system performance and configuration information they need from the same locations they use to manage those systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Keep Tabs on Systems?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By monitoring a system\u2019s health and configuration settings, IT admins can ensure that their end users are working efficiently, securely, and up to compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Efficiency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When a system is running slow or otherwise underperforming, employee output takes a major hit. At-capacity hard drives, deteriorated batteries, and old operating system versions can all detract from a system\u2019s capabilities and slow down its user. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If an IT admin isn\u2019t made aware of the issue until it\u2019s too late, additional work time is eaten up by the resulting maintenance request \u2014 disrupting both the IT admin and the system\u2019s user. By having real-time data on a system and its wellbeing, IT admins can stay ahead of problems before they arise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

System monitoring also supports the introduction of new devices into a fleet. Tracking crashes and uptime can help admins make informed decisions about their latest equipment choices, and ultimately foster employee ease-of-use in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Outdated operating systems and applications can present attack vectors to your systems and network through existing bugs. Malicious browser extensions<\/a> present similar threats. When an IT admin has up-to-date visibility into the status of these potential points of entry, they can force updates to the at-risk system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through system monitoring, IT organizations also identify full disk encryption (FDE) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) status. FDE ensures that their system\u2019s hard drives are protected while the system is powered off. That way, if the device is stolen, its stored data is protected from compromise. MFA adds another factor to login processes and bolsters system and application credentials, even if they\u2019ve been phished. [Note: if you would like to avoid phishing attacks, check out JumpCloud\u2019s <\/em>anti-phishing password change process<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compliance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Compliance regulations such as PCI DSS and NIST require the demonstration of system monitoring capabilities, backed by the ability to enforce changes when vulnerabilities are detected. Investing in a system monitoring solution helps IT departments show they are able to protect their fleets and optimize performance while also keeping pace with industry standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monitoring Remote Systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remote workers make system monitoring difficult. Some system monitoring tools require that the system is jacked into the LAN, so having workers outside the office renders those options ineffectual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to actually managing system settings in response to detected issues, remote work presents one of two issues. If an organization has no dedicated system management tool, like a next generation directory service with those capabilities, then IT admins need to handle systems directly. With remote workers, sometimes IT admins can only administer the device if the worker returns on-prem, or the IT admin tends to the worker\u2019s location, a problem is the employee is international or working at home due to sickness or other circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other issue arises when an organization that has a directory service, but the directory service solely exists on-prem. A classic example of this is Microsoft Active Directory. Remote workers fall outside of the directory service\u2019s domain, and if their systems aren\u2019t Windows-based, they\u2019re even further outside of IT\u2019s control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to properly monitor and manage remote systems, regardless of their OS or location, IT admins need to shed the traditional concept of the domain. Extending beyond systems, IT admins should be able to administer their users and their access to IT resources, including systems, applications, networks, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put more technically, IT organizations need a versatile directory service that is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n