Help CenterIn today’s modern work environment, many organizations rely on contractors who need access to company resources. Designing the correct security architecture for contractors access is crucial to prevent data leakage and maintain high security standards. In this article, we will explore two primary options for providing contractors with secure access and discuss the security measures required to protect your organization.
1. Isolate Contractors Browser Environment Using LayerX for BYOD
For contractors using their own devices (Bring Your Own Device - BYOD), isolating their browser environment is essential. LayerX provides a robust solution to secure the browser, which is often the most common point of access for contractors. By implementing LayerX, you can enforce security policies such as:
- Monitoring browser activity for risky behavior.
- Ensuring secure access to web applications without compromising corporate data.
- Web Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Prevents data leaks by monitoring and controlling sensitive data transfers through web browsers. Contractors can be restricted from copying, downloading, or transferring sensitive company data to unauthorized locations.
- GenAI DLP: LayerX includes GenAI DLP, leveraging AI-driven insights to detect potential data leakage patterns and stop risky actions in real-time. This AI-based solution intelligently monitors contractor behavior to prevent accidental or malicious data leaks.
- Isolating Data Transfers: LayerX allows you to control and restrict the movement of data between work SaaS applications and personal applications or devices. This ensures that no data flows from work environments to personal apps like personal email accounts, cloud storage, or messaging platforms.
LayerX isolates contractors' work environments and limits their access to only the web applications they need, without exposing the organization to potential threats from unsecured personal devices. This approach minimizes the risk of data leakage and ensures that corporate information remains protected.
2. Onboard Contractors to Windows 365 for Desktop Applications
If contractors require access to desktop applications, a Windows 365 Cloud PC is a secure and effective option. This provides contractors with a fully managed Windows desktop environment hosted in the cloud, giving them access to corporate apps while keeping company data centralized and secure.
With Windows 365, you can:
- Isolate the contractors' workspaces from their personal devices.
- Control and monitor access to sensitive applications and data.
- Apply enterprise-grade security policies, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), endpoint management, and encryption.
- Block Clipboard Transfers: Windows 365 allows you to block clipboard functionality between the Windows 365 session and the contractor's personal device, preventing the copying of sensitive data from the cloud PC to personal devices.
Additionally, Windows 365 can work alongside LayerX, providing even greater value. While Windows 365 ensures full desktop isolation, LayerX offers better browser control, including Web DLP, GenAI DLP, and the ability to isolate data transfer between work SaaS apps and personal apps. Combining these two solutions allows for a robust, layered security approach, securing both desktop and browser environments.
Security Requirements for Both Options
Regardless of whether contractors use LayerX for BYOD or Windows 365 Cloud PCs, several key security measures must be implemented:
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Ensures only authorized users can access corporate resources by requiring an additional layer of verification.
- Conditional Access Policies: Restricts access to specific apps or data based on the user's role, device type, or location.
- Web DLP and GenAI DLP: With LayerX, these solutions protect against potential data leaks and ensure that sensitive data does not flow outside the organization’s control.
Preventing Data Leakage
To effectively prevent data leakage when providing contractors access to corporate systems, consider the following:
- Browser Security (LayerX): LayerX allows you to define strict policies around file uploads, downloads, and data sharing. This ensures contractors cannot export sensitive information from the browser environment.
- GenAI DLP: AI-based monitoring automatically detects potential risks and blocks suspicious data transfer activities before they result in a breach.
- Windows 365 Controls: With Windows 365, you can configure restrictions around clipboard usage, file transfers, and local device access, preventing data from being copied from the cloud PC to a personal device.
- Monitoring and Alerts: Implement real-time monitoring and alerts to detect and respond to any unauthorized activities, such as attempts to access restricted files or transfer sensitive data.
What Type of License Should Contractors Have?
When designing access for contractors, the choice of licensing depends on their role and the level of access required. Here are two key licensing options based on whether contractors require collaboration tools or not:
1. For Contractors Without Collaboration Requirements
If contractors do not require collaboration tools (e.g., no need for Teams, SharePoint, or OneDrive), the following licenses will provide essential security features:
- Entra ID P2: This license offers Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Conditional Access, and Risk-Based Policies to ensure secure access to applications. It provides contractors with the necessary security framework without granting them access to unnecessary collaboration tools.
- LayerX License: This is required for enhanced browser security, including Web DLP, GenAI DLP, and the ability to isolate data transfers between work and personal environments.
This combination of Entra ID P2 and LayerX ensures contractors can securely access web-based applications without needing a full Microsoft 365 suite or mailbox. It’s a cost-effective solution for organizations that only need to grant contractors secure access to apps and data while maintaining strong security controls.
2. For Contractors with Collaboration Requirements
If contractors do require collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, SharePoint, or OneDrive), a more comprehensive licensing approach is needed. The following licenses will ensure both security and access to collaboration tools:
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium: This plan includes all the essential collaboration tools like Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint, in addition to security features such as MFA, Conditional Access, Defender for Office 365, and more.
- Windows 365 Business or Enterprise: To provide a fully managed desktop environment, Windows 365 ensures that contractors can securely access desktop apps and data, with the option to block clipboard transfers between the cloud PC and their personal device.
- Optional LayerX License: For additional browser-level security and isolation of data transfers between work SaaS apps and personal apps, LayerX can be added to enhance browser protection.
This combination of Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Windows 365, and optionally LayerX offers a complete solution for contractors who need to collaborate using cloud tools while ensuring security and data control.
Conclusion
Designing a secure architecture for contractors depends on their needs. Isolating the browser environment with LayerX for BYOD scenarios offers a lightweight, secure solution for web-based apps, while Windows 365 provides a comprehensive, cloud-hosted desktop environment for more complex tasks.
Implementing strong security measures, like MFA, conditional access, Web DLP, GenAI DLP, and isolating data transfers between work SaaS apps and personal apps, is essential to prevent data leakage and protect your organization's assets. For collaboration needs, the combination of Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Windows 365, and optionally LayerX ensures full protection and flexibility for contractors.