802.1x Security – Why IT Professionals Aren’t Overlooking 802.1x Network Authentication For VDI
While we all can agree that 802.1x Network Authentication is not brand new, we all can also agree that its presence and use continue to play an even more critical role when it comes to network security in your computer environment - including Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environments. Find out why...
802.1x Security – Why This Network Authentication Is Not Taken for Granted by Today’s IT Professionals for VDI
Imagine being able to randomly walk into every door of a private building. In other words, anyone can get in without any authorization, as the doors are unlocked. Now imagine if all doors were locked and you had to have a key card (or swipe card, FOB, etc.) for access to enter. You would be granted access to the precise door that you are authorized to cross through. So basically, the key card unlocks and opens doors upon which you are granted entry.
Well, 802.1x Network Authentication works in the exact same way as a key card, only for your network. It keeps all doors locked. Client device endpoints (such as desktops, laptops, thin clients, zero clients, etc.) that want to have access to, or enter into, and attach to your Local Area Network (LAN), or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), will only be allowed to do so with specialized credentialed access via 802.1x security. 802.1x Network Authentication’s authentication mechanism is literally a security guard to a protected network. Meaning, a device is not allowed access through the authentication mechanism to the protected side of the network until the device’s identity has been authorized and validated.
With 802.1x security, the device must provide credentials for such as user name/password, or a digital certificate, that are forwarded to the authentication server for network authentication, i.e. approval. If the authentication server determines validity, the device is verified and allowed to access resources located on the protected side of the network. Security at its finest? Sure seems that way.
802.1x Security – Network Authentication in a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Environment
Let’s add VDI into the conversation. As a market leader in Thin Client & Zero Client hardware and endpoint management console software, we at 10ZiG are very aware of the requested and required need for added security when it comes to endpoint devices like Thin & Zero Clients and their related networks. Although standard to all and any of our Thin & Zero Clients, 802.1x Network Authentication has specifically been demanded as of late from public entities in education and government; places like schools, libraries, and municipalities, etc. - any sort of public location where the network should be designed to be very protected - on lock-down, basically.
In the VDI world, everything for the most part (applications, OS) is housed on a central server (data center). Naturally, Thin & Zero Client end users sign on at their workstations with access to what they need via a centralized server. Enter 802.1x security. Again, no access to a network would be allowed via the VDI server without proper validated credentials or certificate, which eliminates any rogue or improper entry for any reason.
What’s extra secure about VDI is the centralized control via a server and the management console itself with respect to Thin & Zero Client end users. The 10ZiG Manager™, our FREE endpoint management console, works seamlessly with any and all endpoints running on a 10ZiG OS as a firmware configuration, allowing IT professionals like yourself to set up specified credentials and/or certificates for proper access via 802.1x Network Authentication with easy upgrades and group deployments.
Configure a 10ZiG Thin or Zero Client just the way you want it with network access and apply it to other Clients as you see fit. With the right Clients, the right endpoint management console, and the 802.1x security via network authentication, you’ve got yourself the perfect VDI structure for security with controlled and monitored access to any network you need to keep protected… and that’s something that most IT Professionals aren’t overlooking in these days of ongoing security concerns.
About 10ZiG Technology
Whether you're an IT Manager or Administrator, Business Owner or Manager, etc., private or public sector, 10ZiG Thin & Zero Clients is the name to rely on when it comes to moving your local computing environment to a virtualized desktop infrastructure. Planning a Proof of Concept (POC) to transition into Virtual Desktop Infrastructure with 10ZiG Thin & Zero Clients sets your future up for energy savings, cost savings, and top performance.
10ZiG Technology is a world-market leader in Thin Client & Zero Client endpoint devices for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure . 10ZiG provides leading Intel and AMD based Dual and Quad Core Thin Clients and Zero Clients for VMware Blast Extreme & PCoIP, Citrix (HDX, HDX Premium, HDX 3D Pro), and Microsoft environments, in addition to the widest range of Teradici PCoIP Zero Clients on the market. 10ZiG offers free, no-obligation demo devices, Technical Support teams based in the U.S. and Europe, and provides “The 10ZiG Manager™