Technology Record - Issue 34: Autumn 2024

50 INTERVIEW Strengthening digital trust Henry Patel explains the importance of a good zero-trust strategy and how Jamf allows Apple devices to be secured in Microsoft-centric organisations The concept of zero trust, though not new, is often poorly understood and inconsistently applied across organisations. Henry Patel, chief strategy officer at Jamf, says successful zero-trust strategies should result in only authorised users on enrolled devices, which are secure and compliant, accessing sensitive data. “Many companies recognise the importance of integrating device management, automation, secured endpoints, threat prevention and verified user access,” he says. “However, they often struggle to connect these components cohesively. This leads to a fragmented security infrastructure with products from multiple vendors that don’t always work well together, causing security gaps, misconfigurations and a frustrating user experience.” And offering solutions that are adaptable, that can be tailored and that scale along with business growth is key. Jamf’s answer is what they call Trusted Access – a vision that combines device management, identity and access management, and endpoint security. “Trusted Access offers a non-linear maturity model that allows organisations to gradually establish more trust over time and at their own pace, based upon their unique needs and priorities,” says Patel. “This approach provides a flexible path for firms to build a robust zerotrust strategy without the pitfalls of a patchwork security system.” The solution was purpose-built for Apple devices, so Jamf’s collaboration with Microsoft is crucial for its integration with Microsoft Security, and ensuring that Apple devices in Microsoftcentric organisations are effectively secured. “The integration with Microsoft Sentinel allows joint customers to filter and forward relevant endpoint telemetry and network data from Jamf Protect, our endpoint security solution purpose-built for Apple, to Microsoft Sentinel,” says Patel. “This provides a streamlined workflow for administrators to monitor and respond to security incidents quickly. “Our most recent collaboration with Microsoft was about bridging the gap between IT and security. Jamf’s plugin for Microsoft Copilot for Security allows instant insight into device inventory data. This is important because security analysts often do not have the time to reach out to IT and investigate an affected device. Our new partnership with Microsoft allows us to provide this integrated solution entirely hosted on the Azure cloud.” A common concern among organisations is the impact of security measures on the overall user experience. “There is a misconception that implementing security controls will negatively impact the end-user experience,” says Patel. “This is particularly evident when firms try to secure Apple devices with tools that were built for BY ALICE CHAMBERS “ Trusted Access offers a non-linear maturity model that allows organisations to gradually establish more trust over time”

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