Three best practices for workstation security
Workstations are critical gateways to sensitive data, but security shouldn’t come at the cost of efficiency. Learn three best practices that balance strong protection with seamless user access across shared and remote environments.
In today’s hybrid and dynamic work environments, workstations have become more than just physical endpoints to perform a job, execute tasks, access data, or collaborate. They’re gateways to essential workflows, sensitive information, and critical business systems. Whether located in a hospital, manufacturing plant, or remote office, securing these workstations must be a top priority for any organization.
However, workstation security isn’t one-size-fits-all. Requirements vary by location, user role, and data sensitivity. The increasing use of shared workstations, especially in healthcare and shift-based industries, adds further complexity. Fortunately, modern access technology can address these challenges without adding additional friction on users and employees.
Here are three best practices that balance workstation security with compliance, usability, and productivity.
Environment-specific risks: The remote versus on-premises divide
The modern workplace is split between remote and on-premises workstations, each with its own security challenges:
- Remote workstations, such as home offices or satellite setups, often fall outside the direct control of IT teams. These devices are vulnerable to phishing, unsecured networks, or being seen by household members, contractors, and visitors.
- On-premises workstations are typically better secured physically, with badge access, surveillance, and strict perimeter controls. However, industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and retail frequently share workstations across roles, which can introduce unique identity and access risks.
The differences between remote and on-premises workstation security are rooted in control and visibility. To maintain consistent protection across environments, organizations need a strategy tailored to both contexts:
- On-premises environments benefit from solutions that manage shared access and enable fast transitions between users, while monitoring and logging all activity for security and compliance.
- In remote settings, strong endpoint protection, multifactor authentication (MFA), and encrypted connections like VPNs can be used.
- Organizations can protect both remote and on-premises workstations with privileged access management (PAM) solutions that enable the discovery, management, monitoring, and auditing of privileged accounts and sessions.
Understanding the needs of the workstation environment is the first step in strategizing for important workstation protections.
Enable secure personalization for shared workstations: The challenge of many users, one device
In shared workstation environments like hospitals, labs, or factory floors, multiple users often access the same device during a shift. While economical and efficient compared to separate workstations and access points per employee or role, this presents the challenge of securely maintaining convenient, user-specific settings and access when one shift ends and another begins.
Traditional username and password log-in processes are too slow and cumbersome, especially when seconds matter, as they often do in healthcare or customer-facing roles. In response, users may adopt risky workarounds, like credential sharing or staying logged in when they walk away from devices. Employees may also use Post-it notes or other physical means of “remembering” a username and password combination.
But even against the backdrop of these challenges, shared workstations can be secure, personalized and efficient, if organizations implement the right technology with the right capabilities, such as:
- Convenient and fast authentication via tap-in/tap-out proximity badge readers or biometric access methods like face authentication
- Single sign-on (SSO) to instantly launch user-specific applications and settings
- Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) support to maintain session continuity
These features make it incredibly easy for users to log in and log out of a workstation, while maintaining their personal workspace and security settings. Better yet, when a clinician or other employee steps away, they can simply leave and return to a workstation without logging in all over again, because the system automatically locks and then resumes upon return based on the individual’s chosen token and its proximity, like a mobile phone or badge.
This not only reduces the security risk of unattended devices but also preserves workflow continuity. In short, it answers the question, "How can I protect my workstation and still work efficiently?"
Protect the data behind the screen with robust access controls and session monitoring
Whether it's a patient’s electronic health record (EHR), a company’s intellectual property, or sensitive financial reports, the data accessed from a workstation is business-critical, and often confidential.
Failing to protect this data can result in:
- Data breaches
- Regulatory fines
- Loss of customer trust and reputation
- Operational disruption
- Productivity loss and negative impact on revenue
That's why organizations must layer important workstation protections at both the physical and digital levels.
Key security measures
To secure access and protect sensitive information, organizations should implement the following:
- Strong authentication
- Implement MFA to ensure only authorized individuals can access workstations
- Use face authentication or smart badges to eliminate credential sharing
- Session timeouts and auto-lock
- Configure idle timeouts to automatically lock or log off inactive users
- Use smart session suspension that saves work without exposing data when the session is locked
- Access logging and audit trails
- Track all workstation access events: who accessed what, when, and from where
- Maintain logs for regulatory compliance and internal investigations
- Contextual access controls
- Adjust access policies based on user roles, location, time of day, or device trust
- Block sensitive systems when users log in from unknown or risky endpoints
- Endpoint encryption and device management
- Ensure that hard drives are encrypted, especially for laptops and remote setups
- Enforce robust mobile device management policies where applicable
When implemented together, these controls support both exceptional security and adaptable, productive workflows.
Why workstation security is more important than ever
From patient privacy in healthcare, to keeping manufacturing operations fluid, to proprietary code in tech, today’s workstations handle a wide range of important data and documents. And the threats to this data are growing. Insider misuse, phishing, ransomware, and lost or stolen devices are all potential entry points for attackers to take advantage of unsecure technology – and the costs are enormous.
In highly regulated industries, compliance adds another layer of complexity. HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR all have requirements for access control, auditability, and session security. Successfully determining how to secure workstations while meeting industry regulations demands a platform that balances stringent protections with seamless usability.
Security and compliance shouldn’t require trade-offs. The right strategy delivers both.
How Imprivata elevates workstation security
Imprivata specializes in access solutions built for high-stakes, complex environments. Our access management platform is designed to remove friction while protecting critical systems and data.
Here’s how Imprivata supports best-in-class workstation security:
Fast, frictionless authentication
- Tap-in/tap-out access using badges and/or face authentication
- SSO to speed access and eliminate password fatigue
Smart session management
- Securely lock or suspend sessions automatically when users leave the area
- Resume sessions instantly on return, improving workflow efficiency
Comprehensive visibility
- Implement centralized dashboards for access logs and usage analytics
- Track compliance across users, locations, and devices
Contextual and role-based access
- Fine-tune access permissions to user roles and environmental context
- Institute location-aware security policies to reduce risk
By integrating with the systems organizations already use, such as EHRs, Windows workstations, and VDI, Imprivata delivers strong security that never slows you down.
Final thoughts
Workstation security isn’t just an IT concern. It's a business imperative. As environments evolve and users demand more flexibility and speed, security must adapt without creating access barriers and adding friction to busy employees and vendors.
By adopting these best practices and leveraging Imprivata solutions, you can minimize risk while enhancing productivity, for smarter, seamless, and secure access that drives better outcomes.
Ready to take the next step in securing your workstations and boosting productivity?