Page 42 - Cyber Warnings

The Rise of VDI in Government: Balancing Performance and

Security

By Cynthia James, General Manager, KGSS

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. In fact, more
than half (63 percent) of global companies acknowledge that VDI is a part of their complex IT
infrastructure, according to the Kaspersky Lab IT Security Risks 2016 report. However, despite
an increase in adoption, there are many misconceptions regarding the security and overall
efficiency of VDI in the government sector.

VDI uses server hardware to run desktop operating systems and application software inside a
virtual machine, and then users access these virtual desktops via their existing PCs or other
devices. With VDI, IT departments can centrally consolidate endpoints’ functions rather than
manage them individually. This reduces service delivery and application costs, simplifies system
backup and makes IT support easier for employees.

As more state and local governments balance budget cuts and embrace telecommuting to aid
employee efficiency, VDI will become even more appealing to this specific sector.

The Increase of VDI in Government

In the public sector, growing interest in VDI is apparent, given that 66 percent of government
organizations acknowledged that the number of virtual desktops in their infrastructure increased
over the last three years.

VDI visionaries in government include the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Homeland
Security and the General Services Administration, which have all made virtualization a priority
and are beginning to reap the benefits. The General Services Administration, for instance, is
using VDI to implement an open office space concept, where employees can work out of
whatever space is available to them at any given time, taking the concept of “remote work”
beyond traditional measures.

The increased adoption of VDI in government complements the rise of BYOD, which has made
its way into even the most conservative government agencies. The number of smartphones
used for work increased in 68 percent of public sector organizations from 2014 to 2016,
according to the Kaspersky Lab report.

Another developing factor in the government’s increased interest of VDI is the rise of e-
government. Now, state and local governments are expected to provide 24/7 availability of
services while struggling with budget shortfalls.

Virtualized desktops not only help reduce costs, but also allow mobile public sector workers –
such as social security representatives and police officers – to get access to necessary data
when needed. Now, the only remaining aspect to evaluate is the most important: security.

42 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine February 2017 Edition
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