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Not every problem can be fixed with a hammer

Find the right tool for a problem, or use the wrong one and risk creating more issues to solve.

April 10, 2015 by Laura Miller — Director of Marketing, Kioware

“Do not use a cannon to kill a mosquito” (Confucious)

Others (no attribution): Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut | nuclear fly swatting | hammer meet peanut | using an elephant gun to kill a gnat | never use a shotgun when a fly swatter will do | break a butterfly on the wheel |

And finally, in reverse, bringing the wrong (and an insufficient tool) to the situation is known as “taking a knife to a gunfight” courtesy of The Untouchables amongst others.

One of the biggest complaints heard both within the IT community and outside of it circles back to the issue that technology is not always the best solution to problems, and the technology solution you use for one problem is not always the solution you should use for another. Bringing this to the world of purposed devices, customer facing devices, self-service kiosks, and digital signage, you can see that both the security and lockdown software andthe protective hardware being used should be selected with care based on the specific usage intended. 

Additionally, why use only one tool? As a problem is identified, there may or may not be one solution that best protects all devices in the organization. You would likely not use an outdoor kiosk enclosure for an indoor project, so why would you use the same lockdown solution (or configuration) for devices that may be used across different departments or with a range of intended uses? Similarly, you may need a kiosk enclosure for public facing devices, but you would not secure individual employee PCs with a hardware enclosure. 

Here are some tools that can be used to create a secure experience across all devices throughout the organization from CEO to public access computers or devices. Using the proper tool for a particular security need will provide layers of protection and access that best protect your network, devices, users, and data.

Simply put, each of these solutions can be used for a particular level of protection. 

Firewall – The firewall protects external access to your corporate network

Antivirus Software – Checks & protects against malware & malicious attacks

Web filtering – Can be used at the ISP or enterprise level to disallow NSFW websites

Group Policy – Can secure particular internally accessed devices while still providing a broad level of access for employees

Kiosk Software – Used to secure the device Operating System and allow devices to access only allowed, acceptable, and safe areas of the computer or tablet.  Protects from social engineering, unauthorized downloads etc.

Mobile Device Management – Monitors mobile device locations & actions, enables the management of corporate applications on mobile devices

Formal Corporate Policies & Procedures – Sets expectations and rules for employees to follow which will in turn protect devices and data, when followed as outlined

Staff Education – Educate staff on potential social engineering threats, appropriate behaviors, and technology uses to protect against misuse, social engineering, & unintentional exposures

There are a few methods for identifying the proper solutions for a problem. 

Thoroughly define and identify the problem or variation of problems in order to determine the best solutions.  

Use multiple solutions for various problems & technical needs – technology is not “one size fits all”.

Technology, when used correctly, can complement non-technological solutions such as Training or Corporate Policies. 

In the world of technology, solutions abound. Finding the best solution for your particular concerns should be a multi-pronged approach. A hammer is not the correct tool for cracking a peanut, but it is the best tool for hitting in a nail. Similarly, knowing what solutions are out there will help you better recognize the appropriate use when a particular problem comes along. It is also important to remember that sometimes, the solution is not technology alone, but is a combination of technology, policy or education that will occupy your optimal problem solving toolkit. 

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