Enterprise IT must support mobile endpoints (smartphones, tablets, notebooks) as well as desktop/laptop endpoints because every user carries a mix of all these devices. Defining access policies that segregate mobile and desktop/laptop endpoints such that users have consistent experience for security and app access is a big challenge for IT. They rely on multiple products, diverse set of consoles for management and visibility to support all these endpoints but still deliver a broken experience to the users.

Use cases

Below are some common mobile use cases

• Define separate set of business apps for mobiles and desktops

Users are not going to access same applications on mobiles and desktops. While some apps might be common (Email, Slack, etc.) for both platforms, most apps that are used on desktops are not necessarily used on mobiles and vice-versa. To ensure user do not have excess access permissions on either platform than what is really needed, IT needs to create separate set of apps for mobiles and desktops.

• Device security posture assessment

Similar to desktop platforms, mobile platforms are also subject to threats and it is very important to check the device security posture before allowing access to business apps. The security posture definition for desktops will be completely different from that of mobile checks.

• User experience of business apps on mobiles

Most common way of accessing business apps over mobile devices is by using 4G/LTE or WiFi network. While 5G deployments have started, it is not mainstream yet due to limited range and expensive infrastructure. Over a 4G or WiFi on mobiles, especially when user is moving, apps do not respond very quickly and users experience significant delays or loading issues. This is due to the unreliability in the 4G or WiFi (last-mile) networks. To make the app experience on mobile devices same as that of desktops, IT doesn’t have any easy fix.

How Cloudbrink enables customers to meet the above use cases?

Cloudbrink Hybrid-Access-as-a-Service (HAaaS) has given equal importance to security and experience (both Admin and End-user). Cloudbrink provides high-performance accelerated application delivery to endpoints (mobiles and desktops) while ensuring strong security controls such that customers get both security and performance without any trade-offs.

Cloudbrink supports the above use cases with a clearly defined set of capabilities.

• Mobile Access Policies

IT admin can define mobile access policies which are separate from desktop access policies. For the same user, admin can assign a mobile access policy and a different desktop access policy. Based on the endpoint that the user is using, appropriate access policy will be applied by Cloudbrink.

Within these access policies, IT admin can define the set of apps that users can access over the endpoint platform. For example, a user can access datacenter hosted private lab network on the desktop device but same user can’t access the same lab network from the mobile device.

• Mobile Device Posture Assessment

Continuous Device Security Posture Assessment (DSPA) on Cloudbrink is unique by ensuring that the device posture checks are executed periodically (configurable parameter) even for active sessions. Unlike other products which perform the checks only at login time, Cloudbrink ensures the checks are done regularly with as low as one minute interval to detect and quarantine or deny access to compromised devices.

Cloudbrink can check for OS version and jailbroken/rooted states for mobiles. On desktops, it can perform a range of checks such as anti-virus, patch, disk encryption, firewall, registry, etc. The best part being that IT admins can define separate checks for mobiles and separate checks for desktops. This ensures that users are using safe devices at all times when accessing business apps.

• Cloudbrink Quality of Experience (QoE)

Cloudbrink has innovated several techniques to overcome the last-mile network challenges that users face on their 4G or WiFi networks and thereby providing best possible user experience on their business apps. Business apps respond very quickly for Cloudbrink users as if they are connected over a LAN network to these apps.

These QoE capabilities are extended to mobile platforms also. Users using Cloudbrink app on their mobile devices experience that business apps are running very fast and responsive. It helps in users working more efficiently and delivering their duties on time.

Conclusion

Cloudbrink solution is supported on all major platforms enabling enterprises of any size and industry to provide best user experience and zero-trust security to their hybrid workforce. As users become more hybrid and move around, and with apps being delivered in hybrid IT environments, a solution like Cloudbrink becomes very essential.

Cloudbrink support:

Desktops: Windows, macOS, Ubuntu

Mobiles: iOS/iPadOS, Android, Chromebook

Press release: Cloudbrink work-from-anywhere service gets mobile OS support

For any queries, contact at https://cloudbrink.com/contact/