The IT help desk might seem like a simple portal for helping end users manage their issues. But in reality, it represents one of the first (and best) filters for identifying potential cybersecurity problems that may arise.
IT help desks help organizations carry out specific internal operations as it relates to technology. Depending on the specific help desk software you’re using, it’s often capable of helping businesses handle both team-based support tickets as well as customer-based support tickets.
A quality IT help desk solution makes it easy to catalog, monitor and efficiently manage different employee requests and queries. It also makes it easy to properly route tickets based on personal skill level, scheduling and other details.
How to Maximize Help Desk Security
A help desk is basically the eyes and ears of your IT department. That means it plays a critically important role in the security of your organization. It can either be a point of weakness or a strong defense against internal and external threats. With that being said, here are several ways you can enhance your help desk security:
- Use the Right Software
Everything begins and ends with your IT help desk software. Having the right software makes a huge difference and will make or break your overall security.
Your help desk is essentially the primary interface between your organization, your IT staff, and any other end users that use your IT resources or platforms. This means any potential threats that could compromise your IT services is most likely going to filter through this platform.
You can think of your help desk as the eyes and ears of IT. When there’s an issue, the help desk will be the first to know. Whether it’s something as simple as a staff member being locked out of an account and requesting a password reset or a serious vulnerability that leaves sensitive data exposed, it all filters through the help desk.
- Train Your Help Desk Staff
One of the big advantages of having a modern IT help desk solution is that it automates so many of the time-consuming, manual processes that have typically held organizations back. Having said that, it’s not a totally hands-off system. The help desk is designed to work in tandem with IT staff and support them. Thus, your IT staff must be well-trained and know how to use important features.
Spend most of your energy training employees to identify vulnerabilities and threats. Going back to the example of a staff member requesting a password reset, staff members should be trained on how to verify the user’s identity. If your staff is trained to do this properly, you can identify early signs of attacks and pass along credible threats to your InfoSec team.
- Outline Security Incident Management Processes
You need very specific security incident management processes in place to ensure that issues and threats are dealt with swiftly once identified. You’ll have to determine the precise steps and order, but most organizations have some process that looks like this:- Identify, log, and track the security incident.
- Triage the security incident to determine severity.
- Filter the security incident to the appropriate individuals with the necessary skills to manage/oversee it.
- Preserve evidence and carefully track all information related to the security incident.
- Resolve the security incident.
- Investigate the security incident.
- Communicate the results and findings of the security incident to key stakeholders and regulatory authorities/law enforcement (if necessary).
- Re-evaluate the incident management process and make any necessary iterations to improve.
The good news is that IT help desk software makes it easy to automate many of the steps in this process. Just make sure you’re playing a hands-on role in tailoring these processes to your organization’s specific needs.
Enhance Your IT Help Desk
Your IT help desk should enhance your organization's security – not compromise it. By following these tips, you can strengthen the integrity of your help desk and turn it into a powerful part of your defense against cyber threats. Remember, it all starts with having the right software. From there, it’s simply a matter of properly utilizing all of the features it has to offer.