Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

1

MANAGING THE ENDPOINT
VULNERABILITY GAPThe Convergence of IT and Security
to Reduce Exposure
Gabe Knuth, Senior Analyst
Dave Gruber, Principal Analyst
february 2023

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

2

Research Objectives
Requirements from widespread work-from-anywhere policies have escalated the need for endpoint management and security
convergence. IT and security teams need broad management, prevention, detection, and response capabilities that span endpoint devices
and operating environments that are often outside of their control, which is driving many to desire convergence between management andsecurity capabilities to simplify implementation, ongoing management, and risk mitigation.
IT and security teams require new mechanisms capable of providing common visibility, assessment, mitigation of software andconfiguration vulnerabilities, threat prevention, and support for threat investigation and response activities. These management andsecurity activities are deeply intertwined, requiring integrated workflows between IT and security teams.
In order to gain further insights into these trends, TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) surveyed 381 IT and cybersecurity
decision makers involved with endpoint management and security technologies and processes at midmarket (100 to 999 employees) andenterprise (1,000 or more employees) organizations in North America (US and Canada).

This study sought to:
Identify challenges,
strategies, and trends in
endpoint management
and security.

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Determine how endpoint
management and security
functions and systems areconverging.

Highlight opportunities for
improving endpoint management
and security fueled by functional
convergence.

Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

keyfindings

Broad industry macrotrends
are impacting both endpoint
management and security.

Unmanaged device utilizationis on the rise, as are security
incidents involving them.

Management and security tool
sprawl is driving the desire for better
integration and tool consolidation.

PAGE 4

PAGE 9PAGE 13IT and security convergence iswell underway, but challenges areplentiful.

Desktop and app virtualization
adoption is on the rise, addressing bothmanagement and security challenges.

IoT presents a significant
opportunity for consolidation.

PAGE 17

PAGE 22

PAGE 25

click to follow© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Broad industry
macrotrends are
impacting both
endpoint management
and security.

Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

5

Hybrid Work Strategies Are Pervasive and Usage of Multiple Devices Is The Norm“

Modern IT environments were becoming far more distributed even before pervasive work-from-home initiatives stemming fromthe pandemic caused a spike in remote work. Many organizations continue to support remote and hybrid work strategies for theiremployees, with almost all stating at least some portion of their workforce works outside of an office setting, and 34% reportingthat more than a quarter of their employees work remotely. Employees are also using and interacting with more devices to get work
done—both corporate-managed and personally-owned. Across the board, 97% of organizations indicate the average employee
interacts with more than one device daily, and the majority report at least four devices per employee. Coupled with the proliferationof hybrid users, there are more devices along a less-defined edge than ever before.

| Percentage of employees who work remotely.

97% oforganizations
indicate theaverage
employeeinteracts withmore than one
device daily.”

Average number of devices employees interact with daily.

50%
40%

27%

25%

20%

18%
3%
0%

9%

6%
1% to 5%

6% to 10%© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

11% to 25% 26% to 50%

More than
50%

2%
1

1%
2 to 34 to 5More than 5

Don’t know

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

6Consensus Is that Endpoint Security and Management Have Gotten EasierThis is likely because a few years ago, teams had to scramble to support pandemic-related work-from-home or shelter-in-place policies, so the procedures for managing endpoints
had to be modernized to support the remote user. That initial motivation to rapidly modernize has been refined over the last few years as mandates and preferences to work remotely
persist, leading to an overall easier and smoother operating environment today that supports hybrid users regularly.
| Difficulty of securing and managing devices compared to two years ago.
Endpoint
Endpoint
security
Endpoint
security
Endpoint
Endpoint
security
Endpoint
Endpoint
security
management
Endpoint
security
management
Endpoint
management
Endpoint
management
management
Endpoint
security
Endpoint
management

Endpoint security

Endpoint management
40% 40%40%

37% 37%37%40%
40% 40%40%
37%
37% 37%37%21%
21% 21% 21%
19% 21% 21%
19% 19% 19%
19% 19%19%18%
19% 19% 19%
19% 19%18% 18% 18%
18% 18%17%
17%15%
17% 17%
17% 17%
15% 15% 15%
15% 15%

19%
7%
7%

7%
7%7% 15%
7%
7%

17%

7%
7%

7%7%

19%

18%

7%

Much more difficult today than it was
Somewhat more difficult today than it
No more difficult or easy today than it Somewhat easier today than it was two Much easier today than it was two years
Much more
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more
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today
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itthandifficult
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itmorethantoday
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ortodayeasy
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Muchitthanthan
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© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

cult today than it

No more difficult or easy today than it

Somewhat easier today than it was two Much easier today than it was two years

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

7| Reasons securing and managing devices have become more difficult.
We deployed more IoT and/or mobile devices

59%

22%

We support more remote workers today

37%
40%
39%

The number of endpoint vulnerabilities has increased

Employees use an assortment of devices as part of their jobs

For those reporting increased difficulty
securing and managing endpoints, the oneword answer to this question is “sprawl.”
Organizations noted they are deploying more
IoT and mobile devices, utilizing more SaaS
apps (and increasing the use of them), andaccommodating more bring-your-own-device
usage. This all results in not only increased
management responsibilities, but also
exposure to more potential vulnerabilities.
© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

26%

N/A

We allow employees to buy and use their own devices

We haven’t had the time or resources to learn, configure, or optimize new
endpoint security/management technologies effectively

20%
N/A

Reasons endpoint
management has
become moredifficult (N=97)

27%

16%

We have not done enough to consolidate endpoint security andmanagement technologies and processes
End-users lack the right security training

35%

34%
34%

Employees’ increased access to and use of SaaS applications

The threat landscape has grown more dangerous

40%

27%

Our increased use of third-party resources has made it difficult to provide
access to the necessary resources from non-corporate-owned devices

What Is Driving Increased
Difficulty Securing andManaging Endpoints?

49%

26%

25%

Reasons endpoint
security has become
more difficult(N=108)

20%
20%
17%
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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

8

Despite Endpoint Security Confidence, Most Still Have Blind Spots?

How pervasive is security monitoring for endpoints, including scanning for vulnerabilities, detecting deviations from approved
configuration settings, and identifying rogue software and misconfigured security software? While 80% of organizations areactively monitoring at least half of their devices, only 10% do so for all of their endpoints. This means that while organizations
have an idea of what the majority of their devices are doing, there are opportunities to expand.
This also indicates numerous blind spots in these programs, so the organizations that actively monitor fewer devices aremuch likelier to have experienced several endpoint-specific cyber-attacks. Fortunately, those same organizations are also
overwhelmingly planning on increasing their spending on security and endpoint management, presumably to get a handle onmonitoring, among other priorities.

Organizations Actively Monitoring
Fewer Devices Likelier to Have
Experienced Several Cyber-attacks…

Percentage of organizations that haveexperienced several cyber-attacks due tounmanaged endpoints:• 47% actively monitor <50% of endpoints• 32% actively monitor 50%-74% of endpoints• 30% actively monitor 75+% of endpoints| Percentage of endpoints that are actively monitored.

2+98+S 18+82+S 36+64+S 33+67+S 10+90+S
2%

18%

36%

33%

10%

MONITORLESS THAN
25% OF THEIRENDPOINTS

MONITORBETWEEN 25%
AND 49% OF THEIRENDPOINTS

MONITORBETWEEN 50%
AND 74% OF THEIRENDPOINTS

MONITORBETWEEN 75%
AND 99% OF THEIRENDPOINTS

MONITOR
100% OF THEIRENDPOINTS…But Are Also Likelier to
Significantly Increase Endpoint
Security Spending
Percentage of organizations that expect
to significantly increase endpoint
security spending:• 59% actively monitor <50% of endpoints• 44% actively monitor 50%-74% of endpoints• 40% actively monitor 75+% of endpoints© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Unmanaged
device utilization is
on the rise, as are
security incidents
involving them.

Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

Device Diversity Is on the
Rise, Driving Up Instancesof Unmanaged Devices
Organizations are supporting a lot of endpoint
devices and, increasingly, a wide array of device
types ranging from PCs, IoT devices, mobile
phones, and tablets to even thin clients. This
leads to many different operating systems, aswell as monitoring, security, and management
platforms and approaches. Each device typeincreases not only management responsibilities,
but also the potential attack surface. Ultimately,
this means a larger security footprint and more
devices that need some kind of management,even if it’s zero trust.
Compounding the issue of increasing device
diversity is the fact that organizations reporthaving a significant number of unmanaged
devices in their environments. Indeed, more than
one-quarter (28%) of respondents reveal that atleast one in five of their organization’s endpoint
devices are unmanaged. As this problem
persists, or even expands, new hybrid security
strategies that leverage modern security
approaches and technologies are needed.

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

10| Types of endpoint devices currently under management.
PCs running MS Windows

65%

General purpose IoT devices

61%

Specialized IoT devices

54%

PCs running ChromeOS

53%

Mobile phones running Android

52%

Mobile phones running iOS

52%

Tablets running iOS

47%

Tablets running Android

45%

PCs running macOS

45%

Specialized OT devices

44%

Thin clients23%| Approximate percentage of all endpoint devices considered unmanaged.

15+85+S 17+83+S 40+60+S 25+75+S 3+97+S
15%

17%

40%

25%

3%

SAY LESS THAN 5%
OF DEVICES ARE
UNMANAGEDSAY 5% - 10%
OF DEVICES ARE
UNMANAGEDSAY 11% - 20%
OF DEVICES ARE
UNMANAGEDSAY 21% - 30%
OF DEVICES ARE
UNMANAGEDSAY MORE THAN 30%
OF DEVICES ARE
UNMANAGED
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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

11| Have organizations experienced cyber-attacks caused by an unknown, unmanaged, or poorly managed endpoint?
0%

100%

34%

Yes, several times

43%

yes, once

Of the organizations that have experienced several cyber-attacks,
what percentage of their endpoints are unmanaged?

5+95+S 17+83+S 38+62+S 54+46+S
5%

17%

38%

54%

LESS THAN 5%
OF ENDPOINTS ARE
UNMANAGED

5% - 10%
OF ENDPOINTS ARE
UNMANAGED

11% - 20%
OF ENDPOINTS ARE
UNMANAGEDMORE THAN 20%
OF ENDPOINTS ARE
UNMANAGED© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Majority Have
Experienced Attacks
Relating to Device
Management
These trends have real-world effects,
with more than three-quarters oforganizations reporting that theyexperienced at least one (43%) or
several (34%) cyber-attacks causedby an unknown, unmanaged, or poorly
managed endpoint devices. Tellingly,
organizations with higher percentagesof unmanaged devices are more
likely to report experiencing several
cyber-attacks stemming from theseunmanaged devices. Specifically,
those organizations exceeding the
20% threshold in terms of unmanaged
devices are nearly 11x likelier than thosewith less than 5% unmanaged devices
to have experienced several endpointfocused cyber-attacks.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

12

Use of Endpoint Management and Monitoring Solutions Can Help to Identify Potential Exploits
Through the use of endpoint management and security monitoring, organizations have discovered a myriad of potential breach points that could be used as vectors of cyberattacks. For example, 44% of organizations found systems with open access, while four in ten identified sensitive data in a previously unknown location. This demonstrates that evencompanies that think their endpoint environments are in good shape can benefit from monitoring.
| Vulnerabilities discovered as part of endpoint management and security monitoring.
Systems with open access44%

Sensitive data in a previously unknown location

40%

Employee corporate credentials/misconfigured user permissions or entitlements

39%

Compliance drift

37%

Misconfigured systems

33%

Weak or outdated encryption ciphers32%

Previously unknown assets connected to the corporate network

32%

Data leakage

31%

Misconfigured SSL certificates

31%

Previously unknown SaaS applications

30%

Unmanaged endpoints with no known business purpose© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

“

44% oforganizations
found systems
with open access,while four in ten
identified sensitive
data in a previously
unknown location.”

28%

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

13

Management andsecurity tool sprawl isdriving the desire forbetter integration andtool consolidation.

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

14

Significant Proliferation of Security and Management Tools
As previously seen, organizations are supporting more device types and accompanying OSes, which equates to moremanagement and security tools. But when does it become unsustainable to keep adding tools? More than two-thirds of
respondents say their organization is using more than 10 of these tools. Multiple tool use adds layers of management
complexity, and it’s questionable whether this even helps to reduce attacks.

| Number of different tools and technologies used for endpoint management and security.

6+94+S 27+73+S 33+67+S 26+74+S 9+91+S
6%

27%

33%

26%

9%

ARE USING
FEWER THAN
5 TOOLS

ARE USING
5 - 10 TOOLSARE USING
11 - 15 TOOLSARE USING
16 - 20 TOOLSARE USING
MORE THAN
20 TOOLS© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

“

More than
two-thirds of
respondents
say theirorganization
is using morethan 10 ofthese tools.”

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

15

Endpoint Security and Management Tool Sprawl Is Having an Effect
What is the profile of those organizations leveraging more endpoint security and management tools? There is a high correlation between those using more tools and those who not
only have larger percentages of unmanaged devices but also have been victimized by endpoint attacks more than once. Specifically, half of organizations with more than 15 endpoint
security/management tools report more than 20% of their devices are unmanaged, compared with only 5% of those with fewer than five tools. Likewise, more than half (53%) oforganizations with more than 15 tools have experienced several cyber-attacks related to unmanaged endpoints, compared with only 15% of those with fewer than five tools. Some ofthis can be explained by overall organizational size and complexity, but it brings up the question of whether there is a point of diminishing returns.
| Percentage of endpoint devices that are unmanaged by the total numberof endpoint security and management tools deployed.

Percentage of organizations that have experienced cyber-attacks due to unmanaged
endpoints by the total number of endpoint security and management tools deployed.

More than 20% of endpoints are unmanaged

We experienced several attacks related to unmanaged endpoints

11% to 20% of endpoints are unmanaged

We experienced one attack related to unmanaged endpoints

5% to 10% of endpoints are unmanaged

We don’t know for sure if we've experienced a cyber-attack related to unmanaged endpoints

Less than 5% of endpoints are unmanaged

We have not experienced a cyber-attack related to unmanaged endpoints

More than 15 tools

11 to 15 tools

Fewer than 5 tools20%© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

40%

60%

80%

100%

0%

15%
20%

60%

10%
40%

12%

22%

13%

43%

23%

15%

7%

54%

27%

Fewer than 5 tools

5% 5%

37%

53%

5 to 10 tools

67%

19%

5% 10%

More than 15 tools

11 to 15 tools

14%

20%

33%

36%

11%

0%

13%

50%

22%

5 to 10 tools

8% 5%

37%

50%

60%

80%

100%
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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

16

Spreadsheets Do Not Equate to Best Practices
While more than 90% of respondents feel like they have awareness of their organization-owned devices and follow bestpractices for endpoint security and management, more than one-third (38%) still find it difficult to keep up with endpoint
management and security due to frequent changes. With 84% reporting a continued use of spreadsheets as a key aspectof their endpoint security management program, more integrated, automated management and security tools are needed.
Organizations need ways to introduce more automation into their practices for processes that aren’t getting enough focus,
such as automated risk assessments and remediation/patching, device visibility, and cross-team collaboration.
| Opinions on endpoint management and security.
Strongly agree
Strongly agree
Agree

Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
DisagreeMy organization is aware of all organization-owned devices thatnization is aware of all organization-owned devices thataccess systems
access systems

Spreadsheets remain a key aspect of endpoint security
Spreadsheets remain a key aspect of endpoint security management
34%
management

It is difficult for my organization to keep up with endpoint
is difficult for my organization
keep
up withendpoint
managementtoandsecuritydue
to frequent changes
18%
management and security due to frequent changes© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

50%

50%

My organization follows best practices for endpoint security andnization follows best practices for endpoint security and management
46%
management

0%

DisagreeStrongly disagree
Strongly disagree

0%
20%

46%

34%

18%
20%

41%

47%

50%

20%
13%
20%
40%

13%
25%
40%
60%

50%

41%
6% 2%

6% 2%

47%

7%

7%

9% 4% 2%

25%
24%
60%
80%

9% 4% 2%“

With 84%
reporting a continued
use of spreadsheets
as a key aspectof their endpoint
security management
program, more
integrated, automatedmanagement andsecurity tools areneeded.”

24%

80%
100%

100%
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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

17

IT and security
convergence iswell underway,
but challenges areplentiful.

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

18| Have organizations consolidated the teams or individuals responsible for endpoint management and security?

55%
36%
7%
Yes, completely

Yes, to a limited extent

No, but we are in theprocess of consolidatingthese teams/individuals

1%

1%

No, but we plan on
No, and we have no plans
consolidating thesefor or interest in doing soteams/individuals in the
futureWill these organizations eventually have one teamresponsible for both endpoint management and security?

58+42+S 36+64+S
58%© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Yes

36%

Maybe,
but too early to tellEndpoint Management
and Security Are
Overwhelmingly Converging
Organizations are showing a clear
preference to combine endpoint security
and management rather than maintaining
separate teams/responsibilities, with morethan half (55%) reporting that they’ve alreadycompletely converged the two functions.
Furthermore, the vast majority of those still
operating separately can see a time when
they will eventually operate as one. Endpoint
management and security technology
solution providers need to accelerate theconvergence of tools to support this fastmoving organizational trend.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

Key Endpoint
Management and Security
Consolidation Drivers
Key drivers for organizational consolidationof endpoint management and security
include optimizing new application delivery,
standardization and streamlining of processes
and workflows, and improvements to security
and compliance posture.

| Endpoint management and security consolidation drivers.
Belief that coordination between endpoint management and security groups
can help us better deliver new applications to users

48%

Desire to support all endpoints with standard tools and processes

47%

Belief that coordination between endpoint management and security groups
can help us better organize workflows between these teams

47%

Belief that coordination between endpoint management and security groups
can help us do better with regulatory compliance41%

Cyber-attack resulting from poor coordination between endpoint security andmanagement

40%

Need better coordination between vulnerability and patch management

39%

Implementation of new endpoint technology platforms that aggregate endpoint
management and security functionality

38%

Need to define and enforce more granular policies on a user or device basis

38%

Need to better support remote workers

37%

Proliferation of “bring your own device” assets© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

19

22%
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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

20| Biggest impediments to greater consolidation of endpoint management and security.
The reporting structure at my organization makes it difficult to consolidate
the two groups

29%

We organize endpoint management and security by device type, and it would
be difficult to bring our Windows, Mac, mobile, and other teams together

28%

We believe that the current separation between endpoint management andsecurity teams is working well27%

My organization has always believed that it is best to maintain separation
between the two groups, and it is hard to change this27%

We would struggle to integrate budgets in a way that would support common
investment strategies

25%

We believe that consolidating these groups could disrupt the end-user
experience25%

My organization is decentralized so endpoint management and security are
owned by different groups in different business units/geographies

23%

Each group has its own tools and processes, making consolidation difficult

22%

It is difficult to coordinate and enforce policies across the two groups

21%

Each group is measured on different goals and objectives, making
consolidation difficult

21%

There is no compelling business or economic reason to bring these groups
together© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

18%

Impediments to Further
Consolidation Are Plentiful
Despite the excitement around consolidation,
numerous challenges, both technical anddogmatic, are creating headwinds forconsolidation initiatives. Breaking throughlong-standing, entrenched, and siloedpractices requires careful planning and abrave leap of faith for many. For others,
systems re-architecture and integration will
require additional investments and may slow
the process.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

21| Biggest challenges associated with endpoint vulnerability management.
Aligning IT and cybersecurity priorities for patching

34%

Tracking endpoint vulnerability and patch management over time

34%

Tracking software vulnerabilities for which no patch is available or that cannot be patched

31%

Automating the process of endpoint vulnerability discovery, prioritization, dispatch toowner, and mitigation

A Deeper Look at
Vulnerability Management
With vulnerability management central to theconsolidation agenda, looking more closely atthe biggest challenges associated with endpoint
vulnerability management reveals that issues
persist in aligning patching priorities between IT
and security. Tracking endpoint patching overtime further challenges many, requiring process
improvements to close the loop between
patching and assessment.

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

30%

Tracking the cost and efficiency of the program

28%

Coordinating processes across different teams

28%

Keeping up with the volume of open endpoint vulnerabilities

28%

Prioritizing which endpoint vulnerabilities could be exploited and should be prioritized for
remediation

27%

Analyzing the results of endpoint vulnerability scans

27%

Patching endpoint vulnerabilities in a timely manner

26%

Identifying all assets that need to be scanned

26%

Lack of understanding of business risk due to endpoint vulnerabilities

24%

Coordinating processes across different tools

23%

Coordinating endpoint vulnerability scans across multiple scanning engines

23%

Conducting/scheduling endpoint vulnerability scans

22%

Inability to understand asset exploitability, exposure, and impact on critical systems

22%
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Desktop and app
virtualization
adoption is on therise, addressing bothmanagement andsecurity challenges.

Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

23| Usage of desktop or application virtualization.

Desktop Virtualization
Usage Is Extensive, though
Relatively Immature
Desktop virtualization is in widespread use
around the world and across industries. Nearly
two-thirds (61%) report full production use,
while another 29% are in various stages of pilot
programs. While some organizations have beenusing these technologies for a long time andmerely expanded their usage over the past few
years, most respondents indicated that these
deployments were relatively new. For those whohave been using it for 24 months or less, there
may be some growing pains and opportunities
for optimization. However, virtualizing enduser computing environments remains a hugepriority for remote access and security strategies,
which is especially important for organizations
supporting increasingly remote or hybrid
workforces.
In general, respondents noted that they would
increase use of desktop/application virtualization,with the most notable result being that the
number of organizations that expect to virtualize
more than three-quarters of their desktops will
increase by 7x in the next three years.

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

61%

29%

Full production use

Limited/pilot
production use

0%

100%

| Length of desktop/application virtualization solution deployment.
44%
33%
6%
Less than 6 months

16%
6 to 12 months

13 to 24 months

More than 24 months

The number of organizations that expect to virtualize
more than three-quarters of their desktops will

increase by 7x in the next three years.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

24| Initial and/or primary users of desktop or application virtualization environments.

55+45+S 51+49+S
48+52+S 42+58+S
31+69+S 30+70+S
19+81+S “
55%

51%

Remote employees/
telecommuters

Research anddevelopment

48%

42%

Knowledge
workers

Clerical/data entry

31%

30%

Manufacturing/logistics(“shop floor”)

Callcenter19%

Offshore
employees© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

48+52+S
41+59+S
29+71+S48%
Mobileemployees

41%
Field service
technicians

29%
Contractors/
temporary employees

Remote Employees Top the
List of Primary Virtualization
Environment Users
While supporting remote employees
has always been a use case for desktop
virtualization, it is now the most commonly
cited due to the increase in telecommuters
stemming from work-from-home initiatives.
The pervasive work-from-home mandates
clearly changed hosted desktop strategies
as organizations look to these solutions
to facilitate employee connectivity
and collaboration outside of the officeenvironment, especially as remote work
preferences persist when mandates relax.

The pervasive work-from-homemandates clearly changed hosted
desktop strategies...”Back to Contents

IoT presents asignificant opportunity
for consolidation.

Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

IoT Growth Is Driving the
Need for Consolidation
IoT management is becoming more associatedwith endpoint management, joining mobile
devices, traditional desktops/laptops, and remoteapps/desktops. With rapid growth of IoT devices
and little standardization on management,
many are anxious to close this gap, prioritizing
the consolidation of IoT device management
and security. Consolidation here will include
workflows, vendors, and tools. When it comesto consolidation, high focus areas include IoT
management and security, asset inventory
and management, vendor consolidation, andthe management of desktop or application
virtualization solutions.
Beyond developing common policies, processes,
and enforcement technologies across PCs, Macs,
and mobile devices, adding the management andsecurity of IoT devices to endpoint management
and security oversight and operations is seenas the road to most improving overall endpoint
management and security.

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

26

55% 550+450=

of organizations have integrated IoT management and IoT
security responsibilities as part of their efforts to consolidate
endpoint management and security teams.

31% 550+450=

of organizations believe adding management/security of IoT
devices to endpoint management and security operations
would yield significant improvements.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

27

Syxsense is a cloud-based unified security and endpoint management platform that helps
organizations manage and secure the PCs, desktop servers, and virtual, mobile and IoT
devices connected to their networks. Syxsense encompasses vulnerability scanning, patch
management and endpoint security and remediation — enabling organizations to align theircore IT management processes with their cybersecurity strategies.

LEARN MORE

About Enterprise Strategy GroupTechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group is an integrated technology analysis, research, and strategy firm providing
market intelligence, actionable insight, and go-to-market content services to the global technology community.
© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Managing the Endpoint Vulnerability Gap

28

Research Methodology and Demographics
To gather data for this report, ESG conducted a comprehensive online survey of IT and cybersecurity professionals from private- and public-sector organizations in North
America between November 15, 2022 and November 28, 2022. To qualify for this survey, respondents were required to be IT and cybersecurity professionals involved withendpoint management and security technologies and processes. All respondents were provided an incentive to complete the survey in the form of cash awards and/or cash
equivalents.
After filtering out unqualified respondents, removing duplicate responses, and screening the remaining completed responses (on a number of criteria) for data integrity, we wereleft with a final total sample of 381 IT and cybersecurity professionals.

Respondents by Number of Employees

Respondents by Age of Company

Respondents by Industry

41%
38%

Financial
Manufacturing

30%
27%
20%
16%

14%
8%
2%

100 to 999 1,000 to
2,499

2,500 to4,999

© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

5,000 to
9,999

10,000 to
19,9992%
20,000 ormore

2%Less than 5
years

5 to 10years

35%

11 to 20years

21 to 50
years

More than
50 years

18%

Technology

10%

Healthcare

9%

Business Services

9%

Retail/wholesale

3%

Government

2%Media and communications

1%

Other

13%

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Enterprise Strategy Group is an integrated technology analysis, research, and strategy firm providing market intelligence, actionableinsight, and go-to-market content services to the global technology community.
© 2023 TechTarget, Inc. All Rights Reserved.