Poorly managed desktops and laptops expose companies to major compliance and security problems. These devices, which are often left susceptible to both internal and external threats, can lead to a loss of control over sensitive customer information and massive losses in the cost of responding to the incident. Companies face a slew of information security regulatory requirements under federal and state laws such as GLBA, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), and HIPAA.

Given the current pressures to account for all aspects of a company’s critical information, effective desktop management capabilities are fast becoming essential to meeting today’s requirements. The question isn’t whether a company should deploy and maintain computers and related software applications securely, but rather how it should do so.

The core tenets of information management compliance regulations can be broken down into three categories: ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive information (GLBA, PCI); protecting data integrity by eliminating unauthorized creation or modification (SOX); and guaranteeing information availability during mandated time periods (HIPAA).

Wondering if you're at risk of violating security compliance regulations? The following "7 Signs" can help determine your compliance status and develop a game plan to avoiding regulatory action.

1) You Struggle with the Ability to See and Manage Software Configurations.

Software vulnerabilities provide a method for hackers to gain access to protected systems. Almost all regulations require that a software configuration management solution is in place. Visibility into software configurations and the corresponding ability to make automated changes allows software updates to be distributed to remove any vulnerability inherent in installed software. Configuration management systems should be able to accomplish the following:

• Asset discovery to guarantee all systems are identified together with their software configurations
• Software updates and patch distribution to non-compliant systems
  
• Record of all activities
  
• Roll back of any updates in case of incompatibility