Secure Workspace for Remote Work

Creating a secure workspace for remote work involves more than just providing employees with the tools they need to perform their jobs. It requires a well-thought-out approach to security, data protection, compliance, and productivity. Here’s an expanded guide on how to build a secure and efficient remote workspace without focusing on specific products but on best practices, technologies, and strategies.

1. Device Management and Endpoint Security

In remote work environments, employees often use a mix of company-owned and personal devices. Securing these endpoints is critical to protect sensitive corporate data.

Best Practices for Securing Endpoints:

• Device Security Policies Implement strict security policies such as password protection, encryption, screen lock timers, and automatic updates. Enforce these policies centrally, ensuring that all devices meet security standards before accessing corporate resources.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Prevent sensitive data from being copied, transferred, or accessed from unsecured locations. This can involve restricting access to data or applications based on location, device, or network.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Require MFA for accessing company networks and applications, providing an additional layer of security against unauthorized access.
• Endpoint Security Solutions Deploy antimalware and firewall solutions across all devices. These protect endpoints from common threats such as malware, phishing, and ransomware.
• Compliance Monitoring Regularly monitor devices for compliance with security policies. Non-compliant devices should be blocked from accessing corporate networks or resources.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Considerations:

• Work-Personal Data Segmentation Implement technologies that allow personal devices to run work applications in a secure, isolated environment. Thus, corporate data and apps are kept separate from personal files and apps.
• Remote Wipe Capability Enable the ability to remotely wipe corporate data from a personal device if it is lost, stolen, or if the employee leaves the company.

2. Secure Remote Access

Remote workers often need to access corporate resources from different locations, making secure access a top priority.

Best Practices for Secure Remote Access:

• Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel for employees to connect to the corporate network. This ensures that all data transmitted between the remote device and the company’s servers is protected from interception.
• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) A zero-trust model stipulates that, by default, neither insiders or outsiders are trusted. ZTNA ensures that all access requests are verified before allowing entry to the network, regardless of location.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Define roles within your organization and limit access to data, applications, and resources based on these roles. Employees should only have access to the resources necessary for their jobs.
• Network Segmentation Segment your network into distinct zones, with strict controls over data flow between them. This contains potential security incidents by limiting access to sensitive systems and data.

Remote Desktop Solutions:

• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Implement VDI to deliver secure, virtual desktops to employees. VDI allows workers to access a virtualized desktop hosted in the data center, ensuring that no data is stored locally on the employee’s device.
• Cloud-Based Desktops Use cloud-hosted desktops to provide access to work environments from any device, with all applications and data remaining within the cloud infrastructure. This approach ensures central management of security and compliance.

3. Data Security and Encryption

Data security is a cornerstone of any remote work strategy, particularly as employees may be working from unsecured networks.

Best Practices for Data Security:

• End-to-End Encryption Encrypt data both in transit and at rest. Encryption ensures that even if data is intercepted or accessed by unauthorized users, it remains unreadable without the correct decryption keys.
• File Sharing Controls Limit or monitor file sharing to prevent unauthorized distribution of sensitive data. Secure file-sharing solutions encrypt files and control who can access, download, or edit shared content.
• Backup and Recovery Regularly back up all corporate data to a secure, off-site location or cloud service. Ensure that these backups are encrypted and tested for reliability in case of ransomware attacks or data loss.
• Compliance with Data Protection Regulations Remote work policies should comply with relevant data protection regulations, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA. Implement controls to safeguard sensitive data.

4. Collaboration and Communication Security

Effective collaboration tools are essential for remote teams, but they must be secure to prevent data leaks or unauthorized access.

Best Practices for Secure Collaboration:

• Encrypted Communication Channels Encrypted messaging and communication platforms ensure privacy for video conferencing tools, chat applications, and email systems.
• Secure File Sharing Secure file storage and sharing services support encryption and access control. Implement policies for file sharing that restrict who can send or receive files outside the organization.
• Access Auditing Track and audit who accesses, edits, or shares files and documents within the organization. This can help in identifying unauthorized access or potential security risks.
• Collaboration in Secure Workspaces Ensure collaboration tools are only accessible within secure workspaces, meaning data shared in the course of communication remains protected and cannot be easily transferred or leaked to unauthorized users.

5. Centralized IT Management and Monitoring

A centralized management system enables IT teams to oversee security, monitor remote worker activities, and enforce policies across all devices and networks.

Best Practices for Centralized IT Management:

• Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) UEM solutions allow for the management of all devices from a single console. This includes applying security patches, monitoring for vulnerabilities, and enforcing corporate policies.
• Automated Policy Enforcement Automate the application of security policies such as updates, patching, and password rules across all devices. This reduces the chance of human error and ensures that all systems are up to date with the latest security protocols.
• Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts Implement real-time monitoring of network traffic, device usage, and access logs. Set up alerts to notify the security team of any unusual activity.
• Incident Response Plan Develop a clear incident response plan for dealing with security breaches or other issues. Ensure that remote workers know how to report problems and that IT teams can respond quickly.

6. Training and Awareness

One of the most important aspects of a secure remote work environment is employee training and awareness. Even the most secure systems can be compromised by human error.

Best Practices for Employee Training:

• Security Awareness Training Conduct regular security awareness training that covers topics like phishing, password hygiene, and safe internet usage. Remote employees should understand the risks of working from unsecured networks and how to avoid them.
• Phishing Simulations Regularly test employees with phishing simulations to ensure they are alert to suspicious emails and scams. This reinforces training and reduces the likelihood of falling victim to phishing attacks.
• Clear Security Policies Provide clear, easy-to-understand policies on how to handle company data, report security incidents, and use devices securely. Ensure that employees understand their role in maintaining a secure remote workspace.

7. Legal and Compliance Considerations

In addition to technology, legal and regulatory compliance is a critical part of maintaining a secure remote workspace.

Best Compliance Strategies:

• Data Privacy Laws Ensure that your remote work setup complies with regional and industry-specific data privacy laws such as GDPR, HIPAA, and others. These laws often dictate how data must be stored, transmitted, and protected.
• Auditing and Documentation Maintain records of security measures, incident response efforts, and access controls to provide evidence of compliance in the event of an audit.
• Third-Party Risk Management If remote employees are accessing third-party platforms, ensure these vendors comply with your organization’s security and data protection requirements.

The Best Tools to Create a Secure Workspace for Remote Work

Secure workspace tools for remote and hybrid environments solve multiple problems for IT teams and workers alike. Often falling within the realm of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), these tools put remote software security, remote application access, and identity and access management together in one package in a way that helps businesses save money versus having a larger tech stack of third-party tools.

Here is a list of the best all-in-one tools designed to create secure remote workspaces:

1. Parallels RAS and Secure Workspace EDITOR’S CHOICE The only option on our list with a 30-day free trial, Parallels focuses on its Remote Access Server (RAS) and its Secure Workspace,  which provide extensive flexibility for device types and working arrangements Start a 30-day free trial.
2. Cubeless Designed as a browser-like experience with access to IT-administered apps, Cubeless has a large number of unique features, including a blocker for copying and pasting outside of the Cubeless environment. While no free trial is available, Cubeless invites IT administrators to join its free beta test.
3. Venn A service that bills itself as a “VDI alternative,” Venn creates a secure perimeter for remote workers by isolating company data on personal devices, ensuring security without invading employee privacy. Watch Venn’s 2-minute demo.
4. ThinScale Leaning more directly into the VDI category, ThinScale’s unique selling point is its distinct software that covers either BYOD, company-owned endpoints, or both. 
5. LiveXchange Providing a service targeted toward companies with large distributed teams and freelance workers, LiveXchange provides secure, encrypted communication and file sharing with built-in identity and access management for hybrid and remote teams.

Whether you call them VDI, RAS, or “VDI alternatives,” these tools are designed to reduce the bloat within endpoint security and remote access tech stacks by putting multiple remote and hybrid work needs into a single package. Companies dedicated to creating a secure byo-PC workforce will find that this approach is not only cost-effective but incredibly safe for sensitive company data.

Our Research Methodology for Selecting Remote Workspace Software

Our detailed selection process for remote workspace software was based on several criteria that are essential for separating these niche services from other broad endpoint security solutions or more traditional remote desktop protocols (RDPs) and tools. The selection was based on several criteria that are crucial for evaluating the usefulness and effectiveness of these tools in creating cost-effective synergy between remote workers and IT teams. 

Comparitech Provides a Proprietary Analysis of Customer Service

We also uniquely assess each company’s ability to provide an adequate level of customer and product support to the average customer. Why? Because customer service-related issues cause over 50% of service cancellations. The cost of starting all over again (research, demos, internal selling, onboarding, deployment) all take time, and time is money.

The reason why so many of us drop a business software company due to customer service issues is that we never fully understood what kind of service we’d get in the first place. Companies don’t advertise it, and unfortunately, product review sites are only marginally trustworthy due to incentivized reviews.

To that end, we developed our Comparitech SupportScore, a formula for calculating that data and giving you more information on the likelihood that a company’s customer support will be adequate for your needs. The SupportScore is not a guarantee or rejection, but more data that helps you pinpoint the best product — and hold vendors accountable to the truth when you demo their products.

1. Parallels (FREE 30-day Trial)

Parallels is a software company that offers multiple cross-platform solutions. It’s also among the most experienced services on our list. Formerly known as Alludo, Parallels has been providing cloud-based services for 30 years. Both its Remote Access Server and its Secure Desktop have the same end goal: giving remote device users access to company infrastructure. However, they go about it in slightly different ways.

For Parallels RAS, the tool is primarily designed to efficiently deliver applications and desktops to remote users across a large number of devices. It requires companies to have their own servers where they deploy applications and desktops, typically through Microsoft Azure or AWS. Parallels supports almost any device for this purpose, including Mac, Windows, and mobile device operation systems (iOS and Android). It’s only at $120 per concurrent user.

Key Features:

• Centralized Management
• Universal Printing
• Load Balancing
• Multi-tenant deployment
• Application publishing

With Parallels Secure Workspace, the company emphasizes security and compliance by providing a secure workspace for remote work and hybrid work arrangements. It allows remote access to applications, desktops, and files without the server requirements found with RAS. It’s offered at as low as $90 per named user. 

Key Features:

• Built-in MFA
• Zero-trust security
• Utilizes HTML5
• Integrates with external IAM, including Okta and AzureAD
• Integrates with SIEM tools, including Splunk and Elastic

Comparitech SupportScore

Based on our multi-point analysis of the key signals for effective customer and product support, Parallels received a 92/100 SupportScore. This means Parallels is likely to provide effective customer and product support during all phases of the customer lifecycle. While this means Parallels is likely to provide the kind of customer and product support most companies may want or need, that may not be true for every customer.

We recommend you book a discovery call with Parallels to discuss the details of their customer and product support capabilities in more detail.

Why do we recommend it?

We recommend Parallels (both RAS and Secure Workspace) for its extreme flexibility in deployment and its distinct emphasis on customization and security. Additionally, Parallels is one of the very few tools we’ve found in this space that has not only very clear pricing available on its website but also has free trial offers for both its remote access services. 

Who is it recommended for?

We recommend Parallels for organizations of all sizes, from small to large enterprise businesses, and particularly those who have large or increasing numbers of remote and hybrid workers. It’s exceptionally scalable and the security measures make it suitable for multiple industries that rely on that kind of security, such as government, healthcare, finance, and education. However, whether you go with its RAS or Secure Workspace will depend on your existing server infrastructure and your overall goals with remote work. 

Pros:

• Free trial offers for both RAS and Secure Workspaces
• Easy deployment
• User privacy through secure access
• Strong identity and access management with MFA and RBAC for enhanced security

Cons:

• May require significant training and implementation assistance from Parallels
• Potentially high costs with scaling up licenses

2. Cubeless (FREE BETA ACCESS)

IT administrators who are looking for something a bit more modern and perhaps even a bit “edgier” may want to look into Cubeless. This relatively new contender in the VDI space provides a secure remote application server that facilitates easy access to your company’s applications and data. Cubeless leans hard toward simplicity as it calls itself a “plug-and-play” solution. That’s despite the fact that its product offering covers a very robust number of needs for companies that want or need to create a secure workspace for remote workers. 

Key Features:

• Built-in VPN and a self-updating antivirus engine
• An active keylogger blocker that works in the background
• A copy-paste blocker that prevents end users from doing the ‘ol copy/pasta anywhere outside of the Cubeless environment for both text and screenshots
• Secure file storage for downloads made within the Cubeless environment, including a text editor for docs
• Multifactor authentication (MFA) with a single OTP interface
• Compliant with standard regulations, including GDPR, SOC 2 and CCPA
• Supports organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises, with the ability to scale up user access and applications as needed.
• Scalable for businesses of any size

Comparitech SupportScore

Based on our multi-point analysis of the key signals for effective customer and product support, Cubeless.io received a 5/100 SupportScore. This means Cubeless may struggle to provide an adequate level of customer and product support, at least during this current stage of its business. That may change as the company grows larger, generates more revenue, and adds appropriate materials and team members that customers can leverage.

While this means Cubeless.io is less likely than other vendors to have the kind of support for its customers and product compared to a larger and more established vendor, what your company may want or need could still align with what Cubeless can offer.

We recommend you book a discovery call with Cubeless to discuss the details of their customer and product support capabilities.

Why do we recommend it?

It’s clear that Cubeless is going for the easiest setup, maintenance, and use possible, even among these niche secure workspace tools that are all, functionally speaking, designed to do the same thing. Cubeless appears to be taking that to another level. For IT administrators who have had to deal with HR tools, here’s a good correlation: Cubeless is to remote workspaces as Rippling is to workforce management. They take a very similar approach, with the exception that Cubeless is the newest option on the block for VDI, having launched in 2024.  

Who is it recommended for?

Although Cubeless can technically support larger organizations, it’s best fit for small or medium-sized companies who are focused specifically on a BYOD model within their remote or hybrid work environments, although it’s still a good option for companies with company-managed hardware. The primary reason we are leaving out large organizations with this one is practicality. 

Cubeless is incredibly green in the market, and expansive deployment for a large enterprise organization will come at a huge risk for a comparatively untested product. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good option, and the “free trial” available through the beta test may help prove the concept. Still, IT leaders at enterprise-level businesses are likely to struggle to get budget approval for it, versus smaller teams with fewer budgetary hoops to jump through for approval. 

Pros:

• Comprehensive security features, including built-in VPN and antivirus protection, enhance data security.
• Client-based environment creates a clear separation between work and personal for BYOD policies
• Quick and easy setup with no technical expertise required, allowing organizations to get started immediately
• Excellent UI with simple customization for IT administrators to add and remove almost any app the company uses for workplace productivity
• Compliant with major regulations, ensuring that organizations can meet their legal obligations

Cons:

• The company is so new that there’s very little feedback from past or current users to leverage for insights on how good or bad its service is
• The company is essentially using you as a guinea pig with its free trial option, a clear sign that it’s extremely untested and a risk to companies that need an immediate, low-risk solution

3. Venn

Venn takes a unique approach to creating a secure workplace for remote work environments. In fact, it uses a proprietary and patented technology that it calls “Blue Border.” Venn describes it as a “company controlled secure enclave.” Within this “enclave,” which the company controls, workers have access to any apps the company makes available and unsecured data can neither move into nor out of the environment. It essentially creates a sandbox environment on each worker’s device. Venn’s perspective on this means it refuses to call itself a VDI. Instead, it considers its product a superior VDI alternative.

There is some growing interest in Venn because of its different take on remote workspaces. On the popular subreddit, /r/sysadmin, one user who claims to have worked for Venn describes how this works in more detail:

“I worked for Venn for a year, on their Kesaya RMM and was completely engaged in the Venn data exfiltration prevention system. Yes, Venn works as described and is installed as a package that encapsulates your session with 2FA and VPN connections to your home server. The system is very good at preventing data from escaping the protected zone while giving full access to company systems over the Net.”

Key Features:

• Uses a proprietary sandboxing technology that prevents data exfiltration on personal devices where it’s installed
• Allows end users to utilize any app they’ve installed locally
• Data security method removes speed and performs issues commonly associated with remote desktops and virtual desktop infrastructure
• Does not require physical installation from IT teams, as end users can install the software as a package independently to gain access
• Fully compliant with major industry standards, including PCI, SOC, HIPAA, SEC, FINRA, CMMC, NAIC
• Provides significant cost reduction over other VDI options
• Works on any Mac or Windows computer with internet access
  

Comparitech SupportScore

Based on our multi-point analysis of the key signals for effective customer and product support, Venn received an 84/100 SupportScore. This means Venn will likely be able to provide most vendors an adequate or exceptional level of customer and product support across the customer lifecycle.

That said, the company’s smaller size, to date, may give it difficulties in supporting enterprise clients. That should not be taken as a given, however, as Venn may have an efficient and dedicated support team and documentation that makes this process easy for all customers of every size.

We recommend you book a discovery call with Venn to discuss the finer details of its customer and product support capabilities.

Why do we recommend it?

Venn’s approach to remote workspaces differs considerably from its peers. Because its focus is on creating sandboxes around individual apps within its “Blue Border” environment, it provides significant freedom and cost savings to companies that need rapid deployment at a low cost for a secure byo-pc workforce. That its service is also fully compliant with a multitude of regulatory frameworks is both important, and a boon for IT teams who need to deploy compliant remote solutions expediently. 

Who is it recommended for?

While we’re sure Venn would love for us to recommend its service to everyone, that’s likely not going to be the case. Venn is best suited for companies that are primarily focused on BYOD or BYO-PC, that have limited IT team capacity, and that have smaller IT budgets. The ease of deployment and management is going to be a boon for overstretched IT teams, but it may lead to some frustration for end users because due to the way the system secures individual apps identified as “work apps” which may have uses outside of just work. 

Pros:

• Unique and functional approach to remote workspaces
• Easy to deploy without excessive burden on IT teams
• Comparatively lower cost option due to minimal technical requirements
• Meets a large number of regulatory compliance frameworks
• UI is fully customizable to each user as works on their own machine and setup

Cons:

• Limited features compared to other remote workspace solutions
• Places a significant usage and deployment burden on end users, which may cause extra headaches for IT administrators
• Limited functionality with mobile devices

4. ThinScale

Unlike many of the other options on this list, ThinScale acknowledges its existence within the virtual desktop infrastructure space. However, its key differentiator is its focus on its approach to securing connections to the secure workspace with rules-based process security. In a nutshell, this approach allows IT teams to navigate the more complex departmental or even user-level differences in application usage and access. Most of the options on our list don’t give you this level of granular control that balances organizational security needs with the unique needs of individual users. 

Key Features:

• Granular device management with rules-based process security
• Completely separates personal and corporate data for a secure BYOD policy
• Allows blacklisting or whitelisting or URLs, apps, and processes
• All created data is saved to a secure and hidden BitLocker file
• Fast end-user implementation with a single-click installer
  

Comparitech SupportScore

Based on our multi-point analysis of the key signals for effective customer and product support, Thinscale received a 56/100 SupportScore. This means Thinscale may be able to provide adequate customer and product support to some customers, while it may not meet the needs of every possible customer.

This does not mean that Thinscale will struggle to provide the kind of support that every company needs. However, the company’s small size, limited self-service documentation, and lower profit margins mean it may have some difficulties meeting the needs of some companies.

We recommend you book a discovery call with Thinscale to determine what exact level of support you’d receive if you worked with them.

Why do we recommend it?

ThinScale’s Secure Remote Worker service takes an interesting remote workspace strategy with its rules-based process security. It maintains a focus on broad compliance needs while still giving IT teams and end users each a bit of what they’re looking for when they connect remotely on personal devices. At a high level, ThinScale is a great option for many organizations of almost any size that are exploring either the expansion of or greater flexibility within their remote work strategy.

Who is it recommended for?

ThinScale is the perfect remote workspace solution for companies whose existing remote workers have been grumbling about the limited access to apps or tools they need while connected to a remote environment. Or, it’s a great option for companies who are rolling our or expanding remote work and who know that they’re going to get those kinds of complaints. Not all VDI experiences should be alike, and ThinScale is designed with that in mind — but only if your end users have Windows PCs. Although it’s built for BYOD, ThinScale only has an application for Windows devices. 

Pros:

• Fast deployment with a single-click installer
• Rules-based security approach for granular access management
• Clear separation between personal and corporate data
• Strong malware protection
• Expansive built-in Data Loss Protection (DLP)
• Can work alongside other VDI, including Parallels

Cons:

• Only works on Windows devices
• Unclear pricing
• No free trial offer

5. LiveXchange

LiveXchange provides a secure workspace, but the company itself is a bit different compared to others on this list. While the others focus purely on remote work tools, LiveXchange has three solutions: its remote workspace, a payment and invoicing system, and a talent marketplace. As such, LiveXchange is attempting to cover the bases for companies that need to hire, work with, and pay remote employees, freelancers, or other types of gig workers. That may be an appealing draw, especially for companies that are scaling quickly.

Key Features:

• A secure, zero-trust remote environment
• Strong BYOD support as it works with any hardware
• Secured through a zero-trust environment
• Connect workers to a private VPN that also checks for compliance and blocks locally-stored files and applications from accessing the remote workspace

Comparitech SupportScore

Based on our multi-point analysis of the key signals for effective customer and product support, LiveXchange received a 70/100 SupportScore. This means LiveXchange is likely meeting the customer and product support needs of a majority, if not all, of its customers.

Nevertheless, there may be some gaps in what LiveXchange can provide for a potential customer, particularly due to a lack of visible self-service technical documentation. It is possible that LiveXchange does have this material on-demand or within a customer portal.

We recommend you book a discovery call with LiveXChange to discover whether its existing customer support and product support capabilities match your needs.

Why do we recommend it?

While LiveXchange does not necessarily offer a unique selling proposition for its VDI, its entire suite of solutions may be distinctly attractive to many companies. That you can find workers, bring them into your ecosystem through the remote workspace, and pay them through the service will likely be compelling for many companies that have all of those needs.

Who is it recommended for?

As a virtual desktop infrastructure solution, LiveXchange does not have anything unique to offer potential IT administrators. However, as an entire package (Secure Workspace, GigCX Marketplace, and PayShark) it starts becoming a far more interesting service to companies that need to solve all of these issues together — which is increasingly many companies. Specifically, though, this package of solutions is best suited for highly distributed companies and teams that rely heavily on gig and freelance workers but who also have rather significant data access and compliance needs. 

Pros:

• Provides a unique multi-solution option
• Works with any device for an expansive BYOD structure
• Secure VPN connection that blocks unapproved apps
• Allows IT administrative oversight of endpoints accessing the VDI

Cons:

• The VDI itself does not have anything unique to offer
• The company is cagey about the cost
• Product preview completely locked behind a demo

Comparitech SupportScore Methodology

Our SupportScore assesses each B2B software vendor's likelihood of being able to effectively provide high-quality product implementation, as well as ongoing customer support and product support. While user experiences may vary, this analysis factors in 5 key signals that commonly influence a vendor's ability to support its products and customers.

Each vendor is different, so we recommend you utilize this data primarily as a way to encourage more meaningful conversations with chosen vendors. Our SupportScore factors in the following data:

• Total number of employees
• Revenue/funding
• Employee job satisfaction
• Identifiable customer success teams or employees
• Self-service documentation

These data points are calculated on a 0-100 scale, with variable weights based on category importance, and then averaged to produce an overall vendor score.

Check out our SupportScore Methodology post for a more detailed explanation of the SupportScore and why we believe it's a significantly important value-add while researching software vendors for your business.

How These Tools Can Be Integrated for a Secure Remote Workspace

Integrating tools like Venn, LiveXchange, ThinScale, Parallels, and Cubeless into a unified and secure remote workspace environment requires careful planning and coordination. Each tool addresses specific aspects of the remote work ecosystem, from endpoint security and workforce management to virtual desktop access and collaboration. Here’s how these solutions can be integrated effectively:

1. Device Management and Endpoint Security Integration

ThinScale + Venn:

• ThinScale provides endpoint management and transforms unmanaged devices (personal laptops, tablets, etc.) into secure work environments by enforcing security policies like disabling external storage, locking down the desktop, and encrypting communication.
• Venn complements this by creating a “Work Bubble” where work-related data is isolated from personal data on a single device. Venn ensures that no sensitive work data is stored locally, and any interaction with company applications happens inside the secure perimeter it creates.
• Integration Strategy ThinScale can be used to enforce endpoint security policies while Venn isolates and secures the work environment on the same device. This provides a multi-layered approach to protecting corporate data without compromising device usability for personal tasks.
• Example When an employee logs into their personal laptop, ThinScale ensures the device meets compliance standards, and Venn runs corporate applications within a secure virtual workspace.

2. Remote Workforce and Customer Service Integration

LiveXchange + Venn + ThinScale:

• LiveXchange manages remote workers, especially customer service agents, providing scheduling, task tracking, and performance monitoring tools.
• For security, Venn and ThinScale ensure that these agents access corporate applications securely. ThinScale locks down personal devices to comply with corporate security requirements, while Venn isolates work activity within its secure workspace.
• Integration Strategy For customer service teams using LiveXchange, agents can use personal devices (secured by ThinScale) to access their virtual work environment (managed by Venn). LiveXchange handles their day-to-day task management, while ThinScale and Venn handle the security and compliance.
• Example A customer service agent accesses the LiveXchange platform through Venn’s secure Work Bubble, with ThinScale ensuring endpoint compliance. This ensures that customer data and interactions are protected during remote work.

3. Virtualization and Secure Desktop Access

Parallels + Venn:

• Parallels Provides virtual desktops, allowing employees to access corporate applications and data from any location. This is particularly useful for accessing Windows-based applications remotely on various operating systems like macOS, Linux, or mobile devices.
• Venn Can add an additional security layer to Parallels by enforcing strict data isolation policies within the virtual desktop, ensuring that even if employees access corporate apps from a personal device, data remains inside the Work Bubble.
• Integration Strategy Parallels can be used to host virtual desktops that are accessed through the Venn environment, ensuring that both the desktop and its applications remain isolated and secure. This is ideal for sensitive workloads that require secure, remote desktop access.
• Example An employee using a Mac can log into a Windows virtual desktop hosted on Parallels, with Venn ensuring that no data can leave the virtual environment, and all access to the desktop is secured.

4. Collaboration and Workforce Management

Cubeless + LiveXchange + Venn:

• Cubeless Used for managing remote collaboration, communication, and project tracking, ensuring that dispersed teams can work together efficiently.
• LiveXchange Can handle the workforce management aspect, tracking employee tasks, schedules, and performance, especially for roles like customer service.
• Venn Ensures that employees working within Cubeless do so inside a secure environment where communications and shared files are protected.
• Integration Strategy Cubeless and LiveXchange are the platforms for team management, task tracking, and collaboration, while Venn ensures all activities (file sharing, project discussions) happen in a secure workspace. ThinScale ensures that endpoint security is intact on personal devices.
• Example Remote teams collaborate on a project using Cubeless, with LiveXchange managing their productivity and shifts. All work is conducted within Venn’s secure Work Bubble to ensure compliance and security.

5. Centralized Management and Policy Enforcement

ThinScale + Parallels + Venn + Cubeless:

• Centralized management of security policies Can be enforced across ThinScale (for devices), Parallels (for virtual desktops), Venn (for workspace security), and Cubeless (for collaboration and communication).
• IT teams can use ThinScale To manage endpoint security, ensuring all devices comply with security policies before accessing company resources. Simultaneously, they can use Venn to manage how employees interact with corporate data and applications.
• Parallels Can be integrated to provide remote desktop access, ensuring employees have seamless and secure access to necessary applications, even from low-powered devices.
• Integration Strategy Use ThinScale for endpoint security policy enforcement, and deploy Parallels for accessing heavy-duty corporate desktops and apps. Venn acts as a unifying security layer across both endpoints and virtual desktops, while Cubeless facilitates collaboration and tracking within secure workspaces.
• Example IT admins enforce device-level security with ThinScale, grant remote desktop access through Parallels, and secure all work within Venn. Remote teams collaborate on Cubeless, confident that all communications and data exchanges are protected.

How These Integrations Benefit the Organization

By using these tools in combination, businesses can build a secure and efficient remote work environment tailored to the needs of both the organization and its remote employees.

1. Seamless User Experience Employees and contractors can use personal devices securely, with ThinScale managing endpoint security and Venn isolating work activities, ensuring no compromise on user experience.
2. Centralized Control IT and security teams maintain centralized control over remote access (Parallels), endpoint security (ThinScale), and secure collaboration (Venn, Cubeless).
3. Compliance and Auditability These tools collectively ensure that the organization can maintain strict compliance with data protection regulations, providing logs, encryption, and control over who accesses what data.
4. Cost-Effective Solution By allowing BYOD and using solutions like ThinScale and Venn, organizations can reduce hardware costs while maintaining security. Parallels provide access to virtual desktops without requiring employees to have high-end local machines.

One Last Thing on Shopping for Secure Remote Workspace Solutions

While the COVID-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc across the globe ended years ago, many businesses worldwide are still feeling the impact. The U.S. workforce, in particular, has seen that shift. In 2019, just 8% of U.S. workers were fully remote, and 32% working in hybrid arrangements. As of Q2 2024, those numbers have jumped to 27% fully remote and 53% hybrid. This is welcome news to workers, who by and large prefer working from home, but it can become a security nightmare for TechOps teams. 

Consequently, IT leaders, including system admins and CIOs, have opted to create secure workspaces for remote work environments. That often results in complex tech stacks that include virtual private networks (VPNs), endpoint security software, identity and access management software (IAM), collaboration and communication tools, cloud storage, and file-sharing services (among many others). Taken together, this hodgepodge of services that sometimes play well together are quite often more expensive when pieced together and less secure.

Virtual desktop software is beneficial for companies and employees

Dedicated virtual desktop software (or whatever each wants to call itself) is one of the best solutions to combine all of these needs together for remote workers. Collectively, multiple factors play a role within virtual remote desktop infrastructure. These include, but are not limited to:

• Total cost of ownership (typically on a per-user basis)
• Scalability (which rolls into the cost aspect)
• Security features
• Device usage policies
• Integration with existing systems
• Compliance with regulations
• Technical support and customer service
• Performance and reliability
• Customizability
• User training requirements
• Backup and recovery options
• Ratings on popular services (such as G2 or Capterra)

In most cases, you won’t find all this information on a company’s website. You’ll have to book a demo and ask these questions yourself. You might make some sales people a bit uncomfortable, but that’s a good thing!