With more employees now enjoying the benefits of hybrid working, where their time is split between the office and home, making sure your workers stay protected wherever they are has never been more crucial.
It may sound challenging to try and keep tabs on a workforce scattered across so many different destinations, but there are a number of easy steps your business can take to make sure everyone stays safe.
Recent research (opens in new tab) by TechRadar Pro and Perimeter 81 found that many businesses don’t have the necessary security protections needed to keep remote workers safe. Only half (50%) had a cloud-based cybersecurity solution in place, with an additional 15% saying they are currently exploring their options.
This is despite a report from Statista claiming more than two-thirds of business leaders (opens in new tab) are now planning to reconfigure their office space to accommodate hybrid working permanently, and 73% of employees say they want flexible, remote work options to stay as a condition of their employment.
Encouraging security best practices doesn’t need to be a long or painful process, as even your newest employees should know the importance of online security tools such as antivirus, VPN and strong passwords.
But working out of the office can encourage some bad habits, especially when it comes to security and IT policies. Workers struggling to connect to a VPN, or frustrated at their poor connectivity in a coffee shop or even at home could be tempted to engage in risky workarounds that may put them at risk.
Whether that’s using a personal computer, tablet or smartphone to access emails or confidential company documents, or plugging in rogue USB sticks to their work laptop, there are all kinds of potential threats lurking outside of the office.
Making sure the devices used by your employees are properly protected at a hardware level can also go a long way to making sure your business stays safe. Laptops and PCs powered by the latest hardware are packed with powerful security measures that can keep both your data and your device protected, without slowing down your machine.
It is key when looking for new devices to ensure that protection for your PC is baked into the very hardware itself, offering security below the OS to safeguard your system, alongside strong data protection and advanced threat detection capabilities.
The most secure hardware also packs specially-optimised monitoring technology to allow any unauthorised work or access to be spotted and shut down. Your IT admins will be able to set firm yet inclusive policies that will hopefully stop any unwanted or hazardous activity, but also be flexible for those workers or tasks that require it. With online collaboration more popular than ever, allowing those teams that request constant contact and interaction is vital, and keeping this safe and secure is vital.
Having a level of insight into your employee’s browsing activity and access to key work files can be crucial when looking to stay secure in the hybrid working age, and if workers leave the company without returning their kit to an office, could be a corporate lifesaver.
Ultimately, the aim is for your employees to be as productive and efficient outside of the office as within it. Having the right IT security policies can be a boon to workers everywhere, removing the frustrations seen in the office-centric era, so make sure your company is able to offer exactly what is asked for, whilst also remaining safe and protected.