In today's remote working environment, it's hard for your IT admins to individually control every device that an employee uses. Many times, employees tend to log into your network through multiple devices like desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, so securing them and deploying corporate resources and applications on these devices can be time-consuming and almost impossible.
The good news is that today there are many Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) software that allows you to secure, manage, and deploy applications on multiple devices through a single console. As a result, your IT admins can have greater control over the devices and their security, that in turn, secures your corporate network as well.
In this article, we'll review a well-known UEM tool called ManageEngine Endpoint Central, formerly called ManageEngine Desktop Central.
What is ManageEngine Endpoint Central?
ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a UEM tool that enables IT administrators to manage and secure all kinds of remote devices. It also integrates well with other ManageEngine and third-party products to give you extended functionality.
Let's take a look at its features now and how they can help your organization.
Central Management for Software Deployment
One of the biggest problems in today's remote work setup is the centralized installation and management of applications across all employee devices. In a traditional setup, the IT admin has to install apps on user workstations and laptops individually, and this was time-consuming and effort-intensive. Furthermore, employees could not seamlessly move across devices to finish their tasks. Both these problems were exacerbated as employees and organizations began to shift to a remote working model.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central addresses this problem with its remote deployment capabilities. Its automated deployment distributes software packages and applications in a working environment, with no intervention from your IT admins. Also, this tool automates software deployment from a central location, so the packages run and install on the respective devices, again without any human intervention. Your IT admins can even monitor this progress from a central console, so if the software did not install correctly on any device, they can troubleshoot remotely, and deploy the application manually.
Besides the automation, here are other benefits of this feature to your organization.
- Comes with more than 4,500 predefined application templates that can be used to create software packages quickly.
- Offers a self-service portal, so your employees can find the information they want. In turn, this brings down the number of help desk tickets.
- Makes it easy to check the system requirements and add the necessary configurations to prepare systems for software installation.
- Sets up shortcuts for your applications and configures the applications after deployment, so it's ready to use.
- All the software is stored in a central software repository for future reference.
- Supports the installation and uninstallation of different packages.
- Schedules the deployment of applications at a convenient time, typically during non-business hours.
- All applications are installed as “System User” for easy reference and control.
As you can see, this feature takes a lot of overhead from your IT admins, so they can focus on more productive tasks.
Vulnerability Management
No operating system or application is 100% perfect, and this is why the respective developers and companies identify vulnerabilities and send codes to fix them. These code snippets are called patches. For the safety of your organization, you must download these patches and install them on the devices that run the relevant applications. This entire process is called patch management.
As you may have guessed, patch management is not easy, especially if they pertain to common operating systems like Windows. As an IT admin, you have to download and install the patches on all systems, and this can be time-consuming and sometimes, even impossible to complete. This delay can also open up vulnerabilities in the devices, and cyber attackers can enter your network through these vulnerabilities.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central addresses these issues with its streamlined patch management capabilities. It offers a fully automated patch management tool for Windows, Linux, Mac, and other third-party applications. Specifically, it offers the following capabilities.
Automatic Download
ManageEngine and its parent company Zoho continuously scan the Internet for new patches for existing applications. As soon as it identifies the patch, the same is added to the central repository after an extensive testing and verification process. Every client's site syncs with the database daily and on-demand (triggered manually), so information about patch availability is notified to you right away.
Health of Systems
Once the patch is downloaded to the repository and synced by the client's device, ManageEngine automatically checks the health of the devices in the network to ensure that they are ready for installing the patches. In particular, it monitors the system requirements before installing a patch.
Based on the number of missing patches in each system, ManageEngine classifies every system as healthy, vulnerable, and highly vulnerable. Accordingly, you can inform the users, and schedule and deploy patches to update the system. Note that your organization can determine how many missing matches will make a system move into the vulnerable and highly vulnerable categories.
Schedule and Automate Patch Deployment
Based on the health of the systems and the availability of patches, you can schedule to install them at any time. Typically, you can schedule patch deployment during non-working hours to minimize the impact on productivity. Furthermore, you can automate the deployment process and you will get a notification after each step completes.
Complete Control
A highlight of this tool is the complete control that you have over every aspect of patch management. At any time, you can choose to decline patches if they are against the organization's policy or for other reasons that you may deem fit. Likewise, you can disable automatic updates at any time, so you have complete control over patch availability and deployment.
All these aspects make patch management a breeze when you use ManageEngine Endpoint Central. Also, the control and visibility you get during this process ensure that you are on top of existing vulnerabilities, so the chances for cybercriminals to enter your network through these vulnerabilities are low.
Streamlining Role-based Access
As an admin, you must provide access to resources for your employees to help them be productive. At the same time, you must provide access only for relevant applications to reduce the chances of unauthorized access and also, to optimize the number of licenses you must buy. This balancing act is not easy, especially if your organization is growing.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central can be a handy tool to streamline role-based access, so only the right employees are accessing a resource. To achieve this balance, Endpoint Central uses the role-based access control approach.
Leverage Predefined Roles
Often, it's not easy to provide access to individual employees. An easier approach is to create roles and provide certain privileges and access to each role. Finally, all that you have to do is move a user to a predefined role, so that the user has access to the required resources. Below are some predefined roles that you can create.
- Administrator A superuser who has access to all controls and resources.
- Guest Only minimal read-only privilege.
- Technician Has extensive control of some applications.
- Patch Manager Access to the patch management module only.
- IT Asset Manager Access to the asset management module only.
- Remote Desktop Viewer Has permission to create a remote desktop connection and access other devices through it.
As you can see, the above roles are well-defined, thereby easing your job of managing access to critical resources.
Mapping Devices
Once you assign a role, you can map devices to each role. What this means is that a user within a certain role will have access to a bunch of devices only. This is another way to limit access and fix security gaps.
Device Management
Employees today use multiple devices to connect to the corporate network, and this is a nightmare for IT admins, as they have to manage the security of all these devices.
This is where a tool like ManageEngine Endpoint Central comes in handy, as it has the following capabilities for device management.
- Enrolls all the devices in a central repository for complete visibility and control. Employees can also self-enroll their mobile devices using two-factor authentication.
- Makes it easy for you to identify any blacklisted apps in the devices, so they can be removed/disabled.
- Helps to configure policies and profiles for devices, based on the roles and departments of the users.
- Checks for device hardware and installed certificates to ensure that every device adheres to the organization's security policy.
- Stays on top of implementing security measures such as using passcodes, device locks, and more to protect corporate data in case of theft or loss.
Along with the above capabilities, Endpoint Central also generates reports for audit and compliance. In all, this software helps IT admins stay on top of all the devices used by employees for their work, thereby reducing friction points and enhancing the productivity of everyone involved.
Endpoint Security
Endpoint security is closely related to device management, as admins have to secure the different devices to prevent data loss. The good news is Endpoint Central's features are excellent in this space. Some of its capabilities are described below.
Detailed Scanning
Endpoint Central does a detailed scan of the devices to ensure that they have no vulnerabilities such as outdated software, misconfigurations, presence of blacklisted apps, etc. In case any vulnerability is identified, the IT admin will take the necessary steps to mitigate them at the earliest. As a part of the scanning and device protection process, it also complies with more than 75 CIS benchmarks.
Data Loss Prevention
Endpoint Central brings down the chances of data loss due to insider attacks and accidental loss. IT admins can restrict the use of USB devices that are often used for stealing confidential information. Furthermore, it offers real-time alerts and notifications if your sensitive data was accessed by someone.
Endpoint Central's extensive reports also help with a detailed user behavior analysis, so you can closely monitor the activities of “vulnerable” employees.
Privileged Access Management
Another potential problem area is privileged access, which provides extensive access to resources, thereby increasing the chances for insider threats. This is a complex problem that can't be fixed by software alone. Nevertheless, tools like Endpoint Central can streamline this access and provide the required visibility to trace insider attacks. In particular, Endpoint Central follows a zero-trust model, which means users have to prove their credentials before they can access a resource. From an implementation standpoint, Endpoint Central eases the process of enforcing and managing role-based privileges.
Protection Against Malware and Ransomware
Endpoint Central protects your device against malware, ransomware, and other malicious content. It uses advanced behavioral analysis to detect malicious data and access and send notifications right away. This tool helps with recovery as well.
Encryption
Endpoint Central uses BitLocker encryption to encrypt your organization's confidential data on end devices, so they are not accessed by unauthorized users in the event of an accident or loss. In general, BitLocker encryption is a feature that comes with many versions of Windows operating systems, and in this sense, it can be easy for individual users to encrypt sensitive content. However, managing this encryption on all the devices in your organization's network is not easy, and this is where Endpoint Central helps.
With all these capabilities, you can rest assured that all your endpoints are secure and the chances of a breach through them are minimal.
Integration with Other Products
Choosing the right software is not easy, and one of the reasons is its level of compatibility with your existing services and applications. The tool that you choose must fit well within your existing infrastructure, so you can start using it with minimal changes. More importantly, there won't be a break in the flow of your data and systems.
Endpoint Central integrates well with most third-party products and all of ManageEngine's products. Let's see how Endpoint Central integrates with other ManageEngine products for a better extension of its functionality.
ManageEngine Products
Endpoint Central integrates well with the following ManageEngine products to provide additional functionality.
- ServiceDesk Plus This integration enables you to perform desktop and mobile device management activities from a single console, thereby enhancing the value of your overall IT services.
- ServiceDesk Plus OnDemand Combines everyday device management activities with a SaaS-based help desk management software.
- OS Deployer Helps to create a master image of the OS for easy deployment. Integration with this tool ensures that new computers become a part of the network automatically without any extra configurations.
- Asset Explorer Provides accurate information about your IT assets, including all your hardware and software.
- Analytics Plus Generates insightful reports, charts, and dashboards for extensive auditing and decision-making.
Besides the above ManageEngine products, Endpoint Central integrates well with other third-party products too.
Third-Party Applications
Some of the third-party applications that Endpoint Central integrates with are:
- Jira This integration makes it easy to resolve all your endpoint device-related issues.
- ServiceNow Improves the overall incident handling within your organization.
- Zendesk Enhances customer engagement.
- Tenable.io Provides insights on threats and remediation.
- Spiceworks This integration makes it easy to handle desktop management activities through the Spiceworks console.
The above integrations are sure to give you an idea of how easy it is to integrate Endpoint Central with your existing tools.
Moving on, let's briefly look at some downsides of ManageEngine Endpoint Central to help you make an informed decision.
Downsides of ManageEngine Endpoint Central
The downsides of ManageEngine Endpoint Central are:
- You may have to open a lot of tabs while managing devices.
- Patch management doesn't cover all the tools and operating systems.
- Endpoint Central's add-ons can cost you extra.
Though these downsides can have a minimal negative impact, the tons of features and functionalities far outweigh them. Undoubtedly, ManageEngine Endpoint Central scores big on multiple fronts.
Overall Verdict
ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a comprehensive Unified Endpoint Management tool that makes it easy to manage multiple devices through a single console. Specifically, it protects all the endpoints in your network through its comprehensive patch management and vulnerability detection capabilities. Also, Endpoint Central has many features like role-based access control and privilege access management to protect your organization's sensitive information from unauthorized access. Plus, its advanced reporting features ensure that you have all the information you need for future planning and strategy. Though it comes with a few downsides, they are nothing when compared to the positive difference it can make to your organization.
To conclude, Endpoint Central is a must-have tool for every admin who strives to have complete control and visibility over all the devices in your organization's network to safeguard critical resources without impacting productivity. Start a 30-day free trial.
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