Getting control over desktop PCs is fast becoming a major strategic objective of CIOs and IT departments. There is no doubt that a fully-controlled PC is easier to manage and therefore much less expensive, but there are actually several factors that are forcing companies to do away with overly-lenient policies and strengthen their management capabilities of their Windows infrastructure:

• Compliance objectives require better information about and auditing of end-user PCs, as well as tighter policy enforcement.
• Malware is evolving and now taking advantage of downloadable software and online social communities to gain access to PCs.
• Helpdesk calls are expensive, and the majority of them are preventable.

If your organization is subject to federal regulations related to IT security, then locking down workstations is probably going to be a big priority. After all, nobody wants to go to prison just because workstations were not properly secured.

This whitepaper will discuss “The Five Elements of Desktop Control” and how each are required in order to fully realize the benefits of a controlled environment.