Customer Service
How do IT service desks enhance cybersecurity measures?
According to a report, 85% of businesses have witnessed at least one cyberattack in any given twelve months. As cyber threats become sophisticated, you need more robust defence mechanisms and IT service desk security protocols to safeguard sensitive data and systems.
Other than industry-specific laws such as GDPR, HIPAA, and ITSM, you need a service desk that complies with the industry’s safety regulations. The service desk must act as the eyes and ears of the IT department and the first line of defence from cybercriminals.
This article discusses how service desk support is the first line of security, how to use it, and its key features.
IT service desk and cybersecurity
A service desk is the first point of contact for customers facing issues with the product or service. It is also the go-to contact point for employees facing software, hardware, and network problems. Service desk executives perform the first checks including troubleshooting, diagnostics, and resolution of any technical issues.
The service desk support team is perhaps the first one to encounter a cyber-attack. Their role is to immediately inform the IT and cybersecurity teams to resolve the problem before it causes any financial or reputation loss. This makes the role of the service desk critical in enhancing cybersecurity.
Service desk cybersecurity strategies
A well-trained and responsive service desk enhances your business’s resilience to cyber threats. However, you must use it in these service desk cybersecurity strategies to extract its full potential:
Use the right service desk software
The service desk support software is the first point of interaction for every customer and is crucial for overall cybersecurity. It is also the interface between the service desk and IT staff that may need to come on board to handle a cyber threat.
For example, if there is a data breach and information is compromised, the service desk may receive calls from the customers indicating a potential cyber-attack. They are also the first to know in case of non-critical issues such as a user getting locked out of their account.
Armed with the right technology, the service desk support software quickly detects patterns in customer complaints and raises an alarm for the cyber-security team. If done manually, this could take longer, causing significant losses.
Timely detection and swift response to security breaches
Employees and customers frequently face threats due to phishing emails, trojan horses, and viruses. A proactive service desk educates them to prevent damage. If the damage is already done, the service desk works with the IT team to prevent it from escalating further.
Service desk support software powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) work 24/7 to detect and report issues and potential solutions. The cybersecurity team can assess the situation and give a rapid response to minimise the impact based on their IT service desk security protocols.
Trained helpdesk staff
Modern service desk support software leverages RPA to automate several time-consuming tasks. This gives the staff more time to train on essential features that require decision-making. Businesses can upskill their employees by training them in potential vulnerabilities and threats and pass them to the security team immediately.
For example, a service desk employee must be trained to verify the identity of a user before resetting their password or giving them access to a system.
Define security incident management processes
A robust service desk support software coupled with an incident management process ensures a swift response to cyber threats. The incident management process would typically follow these steps:
- Identify, log, and track the incident
- Determine the severity of the security incident
- Assign the incident to the individuals or teams best equipped to manage it
- Save and track the information related to the incident and its resolution
- Resolve the security incident
- Investigate the root cause and form precautionary measures
- Inform the stakeholders and lawmakers about the security incident and its resolution
- Re-evaluate and update the incident management process and IT service desk security protocols
Features of an agile and responsive service desk
Efficient and responsive service desks are on top of any security incidents and deal with them before they can cause significant damage. Their key characteristics are:
- Accessible: Easily reachable through an omnichannel system, which includes emails, text messages, chatbots, and ticketing systems
- Efficient: Resolves the problem quickly, minimising any downtime and business disruptions
- Expert: Trained on cybersecurity best practices, security tools and techniques, and the current cyber threat landscape
- Proactive: The service desk support proactively monitors systems and networks and leverages AI and ML technologies to flag threats and mitigate risks
How can Infosys BPM help you build proactive IT service desk security protocols?
The ITIL v3 service desk at Infosys BPM gives end-to-end ownership of tickets, persona-based support, shift-left model, and priority support with a high-resolution rate. The self-healing automates top issues, improves accountability, and performs analytics-driven problem management.
Read more about service desk support at Infosys BPM.
