In the second part of our series about achieving IT maturity, we’ll talk about your team’s end-user support functions. These are a key part of building a more mature and successful organization, and they’re also extremely important when it comes to cybersecurity.
This article will take a look at what exactly end-user support functions are, why they’re so important, and what you need to do to improve in this area.
What Is IT Maturity?
Companies that are high in IT maturity have more advanced tools, more efficient processes, and tend to be more productive and successful across all areas of IT. You can identify high-maturity companies because their IT works in harmony with the other areas of the organization.
Instead of reactively solving IT-specific problems, high-maturity IT teams take a proactive role in driving the company forward, closely tying IT activities to overarching business goals.
What Are End-User Support Functions (And Why Do They Matter?)
End-user support functions are the various functions that enable your end users to do their jobs safely, effectively, and with minimal disruption or confusion. Some examples of end-user support functions are user support, end-user multifactor authentication, and management of endpoint devices.
End-user support also covers some key security functions like endpoint detection and response on your company devices and email security.
These functions are important because your end users are the lifeblood of your organization. These are the people on the front line of your operations, working with your tools and processes firsthand every day. The more support and protection you can give these users, the better your organization will perform.
How to Improve Your End-User Support Functions
So — you’re ready to improve your end-user support functions. The first step is to find out where you currently stand: what end-user support functions do you already have in place and how well are they working?
Then, find out if you have any standardization in place around these functions. Many companies have little to no standardization here, which is a daily nightmare for the people who rely on these functions to do their jobs.
It makes sense to put together a checklist of some key end-user support functions and work through it. For each function, look at where you currently are, what needs to improve, what standardizations you already have in place (if any), and any glaring vulnerabilities.
Here’s a quick example checklist:
- Service desk and end-user support
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Endpoint disk encryption
- Managed endpoint management
- App management
- Policy deployment
- Self-service features
- Windows autopilot
- Windows autopatch
- Disk encryption management
- Endpoint patching
- Endpoint 3rd party patching
- Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
- Email and collaboration security
- Email security detection and remediation
- Protection for Microsoft Teams
- Social engineering defense
- Insider risk protection
- DMARC management
- Message encryption
- Email continuity
Now let’s look at a few of those functions in a little more detail.
Service Desk & End-User Support
These are the systems you have in place to — as the name suggests — support your end users. Your IT service desk is there to respond to questions and problems, helping your teams get back on track quickly and do their jobs as effectively as possible.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA requires your users to verify their identity via multiple methods to access important or sensitive areas. For example, they might need to enter a password and then confirm their identity again through a personal device. This reduces the risk of unauthorized people gaining access to critical information or assets. Make sure you train your end users on MFA, why it’s needed, and how to use it.
Policy Deployment
It’s important to have the right policies in place across all relevant devices, to keep them secure and standardized. Support your IT teams in implementing and enforcing these policies.
Endpoint Patching
Your network endpoints — like laptops, smartphones, servers, and IoT devices — are vulnerable points and need to be protected. You need to make sure the software on your endpoints is always updated and patched, and any vulnerabilities are quickly identified and dealt with.
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
EDR is the process of constantly monitoring all your endpoint devices to pinpoint any suspicious activity. When you discover something concerning, your security teams must have everything they need to quickly and decisively deal with the threat and keep your end users safe.
Social Engineering Defense
Social engineering cyber attacks like phishing, pretexting, and ransomware are becoming more sophisticated and threatening all the time. You need to have the right policies and procedures in place to educate your end users about these threats, show them how to avoid falling victim, and give them the skills and tools to respond to these attacks if and when they do happen.
Email Continuity
When crises and outages happen, it’s common to lose access to email. This can cause massive disruptions and problems for your end users, so you need a plan of action to get emergency email services up and running and to recover any lost emails after the systems are restored.
Work With DYOPATH
Here at DYOPATH, we’re strong believers in working towards IT maturity in everything we do. A high-maturity IT department is one of the most powerful assets you can have when building a stronger, more aligned, and more secure organization.
We work closely with all our clients to help them achieve true IT maturity, and building stronger and more reliable end-user support functions is a big part of that.
If you’d like to learn more about how we help our clients achieve IT maturity, take a look at our white paper, the IT Director’s Blueprint to IT Maturity.
