Network Access Control For Dummies®

7.4. A Clean Desk(top)

If your organization is large, you might also have a desktop team, known as desktop management, desktop security, or other monikers. This team manages any and all computing (and input) devices that your organization owns and operates, or manages. So, any device that the organization owns or manages, or that an employee or a contractor operates, falls under the purview of such a desktop management team.

If you don't have a desktop management team, you might consider creating one or at least focusing someone's duties to cover all the devices.

A desktop management team is ultimately responsible for

• The actions of any computing device that the organization owns, operates, or manages, including what happens when a device attempts to access the organization's network.

• Anything and everything that's initially loaded or subsequently downloaded onto the device, including any software applications.

• Any sort of hardware, storage, or other device type that's ultimately attached to a computing device.

• Policing desktop and other computing devices to ensure that users are maintaining the devices properly, which includes checking the devices for applications that the organization bans or hasn't approved. These applications can include instant messaging, peer-to-peer, file sharing, and other applications that can act as a Typhoid Mary of malware or open the network, applications, ...