Some 52% of employees with remote-capable jobs now work in hybrid arrangements, forcing organizations to rethink how they secure access to corporate systems and data.

As employees continue to object to “return to office” mandates, around half of the workforce splits time between remote and on-premises work. From a cybersecurity perspective, this means that the traditional network perimeter is now a thing of the past, as employees connect from home networks, public WiFi, and personal devices.

But all of the “freedom” benefits come at a cost, especially for IT teams. The attack surface is significantly larger with all of the identities, devices, and connections extending beyond what organizations can directly control.

The go-to approach for a long time has been extended network access via a corporate VPN. However, VPNs primarily expand the network perimeter rather than control how users access applications and data, which is a key security limitation.

As a result, some security teams are shifting toward solutions that centralize the environment rather than access, and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, is emerging as a go-to approach.

Why organizations are turning to VDI for hybrid work

Corporate VPNs in hybrid environments are useful, but only to an extent. Once access is granted, security teams still have little visibility into how users interact with applications and data, particularly when it comes to unmanaged or personal devices.

VPN infrastructure itself has become a frequent target for attackers. For example, multiple critical vulnerabilities in Fortinet FortiGate VPN devices have allowed attackers to bypass authentication and gain direct access to corporate networks, often leading to ransomware and long-term persistence.

VDI addresses this gap by shifting control away from the network layer and toward the application and environment level, which aligns more closely with zero-trust principles.

VDI enables organizations to host desktop environments centrally, usually in the cloud or a data center, while users access them remotely through secure sessions. Instead of running applications locally, users interact with a streamed desktop, with all processing and data storage handled within controlled infrastructure.

VDI is gaining traction among organizations managing hybrid environments, largely due to its impact on security and operational efficiency.

Mainly, this model simplifies security and management. Data and applications never leave the centralized environment, so the risk of data leakage shrinks significantly. At the same time, IT teams gain greater visibility and control over user activity, access, and configurations.

All applications and configurations come pre-configured, so users have everything they need from the moment they log in.

The implications for BYOD and unmanaged devices

One of the greatest challenges IT teams face is managing the risks from BYOD devices. It’s difficult to enforce strict controls on personal devices, so usually teams only have visibility at the application or web level, while activity on the device itself, such as downloads, browsing behavior, or potential malware infections, remains largely outside their control.

This is a major blind spot. If an attacker gets access to the device itself, they can access corporate resources through legitimate sessions, making detection impossible before any damage is done.

VDI is a compelling solution here, because it decouples access from the endpoint itself. Users connect to a secure environment, often through a browser, where all applications and data reside. The endpoint acts only as a display layer, meaning it never directly interacts with internal systems or stores sensitive information.

For organizations in regulated industries, where strict control over data and access is essential, VDI provides a practical way to support BYOD without compromising on security.

Budget pressures are accelerating adoption

Cost considerations are another factor driving VDI demand. Endpoint hardware is expensive to buy, maintain, and replace. Even in BYOD scenarios, organizations still incur indirect costs like supporting a wide range of devices, troubleshooting issues, and managing inconsistent environments. In fully managed setups, the burden is even greater, with ongoing cycles of upgrades, repairs, and replacements.

The VDI model is a lot more straightforward. There is no need to invest heavily in endpoint hardware, as everything is hosted on the cloud, with payments based on actual usage. The upfront costs are much lower, with greater flexibility to scale costs in line with workforce needs.

There are also meaningful indirect savings. IT teams can do more with less time, as they no longer need to provision, patch, or troubleshoot device-related issues. The result is a leaner IT operation with lower overhead and more predictable long-term costs.

In the office, virtually

Hybrid work is not an outlier, but an expectation in modern environments. As a result, the way organizations approach access, security, and infrastructure must evolve to meet this reality. Technologies like VPNs still have a role to play, but they are no longer sufficient on their own.

VDI represents a more controlled and forward-looking model. By centralizing environments and reducing reliance on endpoint trust, it allows organizations to support flexible work without expanding risk at the same pace.