Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      World Bank set to back South Africa’s big energy grid roll-out

      20 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Sita hits back at critics, promises faster, automated procurement

      20 June 2025

      The transatlantic race to create the first television

      20 June 2025

      Listed: All the MVNOs in South Africa – 2025 edition

      19 June 2025
    • World

      Watch | Starship rocket explodes in setback to Musk’s Mars mission

      19 June 2025

      Trump Mobile dials into politics, profit and patriarchy

      17 June 2025

      Samsung plots health data hub to link users and doctors in real time

      17 June 2025

      Beijing’s chip champions blacklisted by Taiwan

      16 June 2025

      China is behind in AI chips – but for how much longer?

      13 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025
    • TCS

      TCS+ | AfriGIS’s Helen Hulett on how tech can help resolve South Africa’s water crisis

      18 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

      16 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025

      TCS+ | The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi

      6 June 2025

      TCS+ | AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact

      4 June 2025
    • Opinion

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025

      South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

      2 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Company News » Secure workstations in a post-Covid world are critical

    Secure workstations in a post-Covid world are critical

    By Datacentrix and HP4 March 2022
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    Today, the bulk of the cybersecurity team’s focus and resources are given to the company’s servers and network devices, which makes sense because a breach or other security event in one of these can have the most catastrophic consequences.

    However, workstations should never be ignored, as they can be used by cunning and sophisticated cyber adversaries to breach the network and, alongside that, get their hands on the company’s most private and proprietary information.

    However, most attention given to the security of workstations has centred on a range of malware, including viruses, worms, trojans, adware, spam and spyware, since these types of malware can negatively impact on productivity. Sadly, too few businesses really consider the other threats that their workstations face, and the fallout in the event of a successful security attack.

    Workstation security took a massive knock, as machines now reside outside the company

    Cybercrooks have their eyes on many profitable targets like large database servers, but companies often forget that workstations also contain valuable data, including passwords, which are effectively the keys to the kingdom.

    Even employees who don’t necessarily have access to the company’s crown jewels of data can still have their machines hijacked by bad actors to commit other acts of malfeasance, such as crypto jacking and eavesdropping, and even using the device as part of a botnet to carry out DDoS attacks.

    Other employees, such as those in the finance department or staff employed in human resources and payroll, are a prize in themselves, and have a wealth of lucrative data on their machines that most attackers are dying to get their hands on.

    To learn more about HP Z Workstations, visit Datacentrix

    This is because these systems often contain a vast amount of highly valuable data, which, if in the wrong hands, could lead to a public disclosure with not only financial consequences but embarrassing reputational ones too. It’s important to remember that even staff in different areas of the business could potentially have all manner of information stored on their workstations, including financial information, strategic and planning data, confidential communications, and payroll and tax data.

    Difficult to audit and control

    Compounding the problem is the fact that whoever has access to this information is extremely difficult to audit and control compared to information in a central database server. And while encouraging staff to store only the bare minimum that is strictly necessary to do their jobs is a good idea, this isn’t always practical, and can hamper them from doing their jobs properly. Moreover, even if employee workstations don’t contain any really sensitive information, if they are breached, attackers can still access that centralised server and, with it, the data they are after.

    When it comes to employees in the IT department, such as network or system administrators, companies need to be even more vigilant. Not only do IT staff often have extremely valuable data on their machines, but they also have admin access, which in the wrong hands would effectively give threat actors access to anything they want within the company’s environment. At the same time, their job functions introduce another level of risk, as they are tasked with testing new third-party software, as well as a slew of applications and other tools. All these apps, tools and software can come hand in hand with major dangers and can give attackers a foothold in the organisation if they are compromised in any way.

    All these risks are compounded by the fact that we are living in a different world, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic that saw entire workforces moving to remote working overnight, and following this, a shift to a hybrid mixture of working from the office and home.

    From the moment your HP Z Workstation is switched on, security tools work together in the background to protect your machine

    Workstation security took a massive knock, as machines now reside outside the company. Therefore, traditional network-based security on its own is inadequate for today’s security needs. In these challenging times, endpoint devices must become the first line of defence, and hardware-based workstation security is more critical than ever before.

    This is why it is key to remember that when it comes to choosing workstations for employees, not all workstations are created equal when it comes to cybersecurity.

    Organisations need to remember that cybercriminals are more motivated, sophisticated and well-funded than ever befo, and they have your organisation in their cross hairs. This is why certain HP Z Workstations feature HP Wolf Security, which is always-on and always keeping an eye out, to ensure businesses and their teams stay safe and secure.

    Therefore, while the digital landscape keeps evolving, and alongside this, security risks and threats, too, the security solutions engineered into HP workstations are designed to protect organisations from all manner of threats. From the moment your HP Z Workstation is switched on, security tools work together in the background to protect your machine and, with it, your most critical data.

    To learn more about HP Z Workstations, visit Datacentrix.

    • This promoted content was paid for by the party concerned


    Datacentrix HP HP Z HP Z Workstations
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleBreaking the rules: Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series is a game changer
    Next Article Reinventing learning: a major focus for HP in Africa

    Related Posts

    Global firms eyeing South African IT companies for M&A deals

    22 January 2025

    Andile Ngcaba: ‘Fair Share’ is not needed in South Africa

    22 August 2024

    Level up your tech game at the Datacentrix Showcase 2024 Digital Experience Lab

    13 August 2024
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Company News

    Making IT happen: how Trade Link gears up to enable SA retail strategies

    20 June 2025

    Why parents choose CambriLearn for online education

    19 June 2025

    Disrupt first, ask questions later – the uncomfortable truth about incident response

    18 June 2025
    Opinion

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    AI and the future of ICT distribution

    16 June 2025

    Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

    13 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.