What is remote monitoring and management, and how will it further your remote security efforts?

Over 36 million Americans, or 22% of the workforce, will work from home by 2025.

This shift in our way of working means business owners and IT departments need tools to manage their remote teams efficiently and secure company networks and data from potential threats.

Remote monitoring and management solutions boost your company’s security infrastructure while supporting your employees’ productivity and experience no matter where their employees work on any given day.

So, let’s discuss remote monitoring and management, from its definition to the implementation best practices and everything in between.

What is Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)?

Remote Monitoring and Management, commonly known as RMM or remote IT Management, is a category of IT software that allows IT Managers to monitor a workforce’s devices, endpoints, and networks.

Think of an RMM as your company’s central nervous system. It enables you to keep an eye on your digital infrastructure and ensure all systems are running smoothly, no matter the location of a device.

For companies with a hybrid or remote workforce, RMM is an essential tool for their IT department as it will help you:

• Protect sensitive company data.
• Minimize employee downtime due to technical issues.
• Troubleshoot devices remotely.
• Proactively resolve issues via alert systems and remote patch installation.
• Reinforce your cybersecurity efforts by quickly monitoring and removing threats.

What is RMM used for?

Remote monitoring and management software offer an array of functionalities and solutions that your IT department will benefit from. These include:

• Mass device deployment: Keep devices up to date in bulk with no hassles and no interruptions. Use RMM to easily deploy host software to multiple computers using an MSI/PKG/APP installer.
• Get alerted, track, and resolve issues remotely: Receive real-time alerts about issues before they become a problem. Desktop alerting software or a ticketing system notifies you when set thresholds are hit so you can quickly address threats before they become bigger and conduct proactive maintenance.
• Patch management and remote application installation: Frequently installing patches and software updates boost your security efforts. But doing so across 100+ laptops is tedious. RMM allows you to identify, approve, and deploy patches to one or more devices to keep your software up-to-date and protected against threats.
• Keep your device security high: Deploy antivirus software, manage it, launch scans, and quarantine suspicious files. Then, view a list of potential threats across devices from a centralized dashboard. To limit human error, make it possible for only IT to manage these aspects.
• Make data-driven decisions: RMM software provides extensive reports so you can see the software causing the most problems, licensing issues, and devices performing poorly. This information allows you to make better IT purchasing decisions in the future, thus improving your company's profit margin in the long run.

How does RMM work?

There are two types of RMM: agent-based and agentless.

Agent-based RMM software typically includes two elements: the management console and a piece of software (also referred to as an agent).

The management console allows IT Managers to access all the RMM software functions. The piece of software, or agent, is installed across all your devices and enables IT to access remote equipment and real-time monitoring directly. The software collects data about the device, such as its health and status. Then, it reports that to the RMM console. IT Managers can then get an overview of all devices and take action when alerts or problems arise.

This option is best if your company has devices worldwide that require comprehensive monitoring and management. An agent-based RMM provides a high level of visibility and control over your IT infrastructure.

An alternative is agentless RMM which uses existing protocols and APIs to monitor and manage devices. Making it faster to implement and less invasive to monitoring remote devices. However, agentless RMM provides fewer monitoring capabilities. So this option is best for companies who need a less intrusive monitoring approach.

Both options can be used for laptops and mobile devices. And agentless RMM is best if you also have multiple network devices that are not connected to the internet.

How RMM helps your cybersecurity efforts with a distributed workforce

Remote work brings additional cybersecurity concerns. Because you now have equipment and people connecting to your network from across the globe. So, you need to be sure people can’t easily hack into laptops and steal sensitive information.

RMM tools help fortify your security means by enabling continuous monitoring in real-time. So IT teams can promptly respond to security threats and minimize data breaches. At the same time, IT teams can update devices, conduct patch management, and quarantine suspicious files based on antivirus software. Making it easy to conduct and automate routine maintenance tasks.

In addition, RMM allows companies to control and monitor user access. Preventing unauthorized entry and mitigating insider threats or unauthorized data sharing of sensitive information.

Lastly, in the event of a security breach, RMM tools help pinpoint the problem and enable a swift reaction.

RMM implementation best practices

Implementing RMM software will bring big changes to your company. So it’s best to follow a few best practices to ensure a smooth transition as you implement this solution across hundreds of devices and connect all your security data to one central location.

• Offer comprehensive training: Ensure IT teams, and any other department that will be involved in the system’s maintenance, receive thorough training on how to use RMM tools.
• Communicate with your team: Remote monitoring and management software can sound suspicious to anyone outside the IT sector. Clearly communicate with all your teams what data will be collected, what exactly will be monitored, how to ask for help, and what updates will take place.
• Conduct regular audits: Conduct routine audits of your RMM system. Analyze security settings, core functions, configured tasks, and user access controls, to ensure you’re still in line with cybersecurity best practices.
• Automate certain rules and tasks: Leverage automation features to streamline tasks like patch management and updates, reducing the risk of human error and ensuring consistent security applications.

Implement RMM to elevate your company’s security

As remote work becomes the norm, tools like Remote Monitoring and Management will become more and more popular. Why? Because RMM improves operational efficiency and also acts as a vital ally in safeguarding against cybersecurity threats. It empowers businesses to navigate the remote work landscape confidently, ensuring a secure and productive environment for their teams.