How to Secure a Hybrid Workforce
A hybrid workforce isn’t necessarily new, just a lot more common for many more people after the last year we had. With this “new way” of conducting work comes new ways for hackers to get a hold of our data creating new security challenges for organizations to be aware of.
Securing a hybrid workforce can be done by implementing updated security policies that reflect these concerns. Let’s take a look at how to do so below.
A hybrid workforce combines traditional in-office work with remote work. This can look different for many people and organizations as it could mean:
Some members work remotely, and some members work in the office.
Members have set schedules for in-office and remote workdays.
Members can pick and choose when they want to work in the office versus remotely.
A hybrid workforce is a great way to increase work-life balance as it allows employees more flexibility and freedom to work where they feel most comfortable and productive.
As Elisabeth Cintron said, it’s important for leaders to “set conditions for hybrid work arrangements, make flexibility a priority, and reset how we approach collaboration. The ability to attract and retain the best and brightest talent…today and in the future depends on it.”
However, with the extra flexibility of a hybrid workforce comes a few security concerns to be aware of. This is because many hybrid workers use multiple devices to get work done, such as their work and home laptop, desktop, phone, and tablet. This can cause data leakage, not to mention sensitive data is being accessed on unmanaged devices. Along with the previous, when devices come and go from the office, they are more susceptible to becoming infected. If a device becomes unknowingly infected with malware away from the office and is then brought back to the office and connected to the corporate network, it can infect other devices on the network.
Mark Camillo, CEO at CyberAcuView, noted in an article with Insurance Journal that "The cyber landscape continues to evolve with coordinated attacks becoming more frequent and disruptive.” This is why it’s important to understand cyber trends to stop potential attacks before they happen, and improve the overall security posture of your organization.
Securing a hybrid workforce comes with new challenges, but it isn’t impossible. Below are some ways to secure your hybrid workforce from the many cybersecurity threats companies and individuals face today.
Enable 2FA for accounts and devices.
Use a corporate Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Limit employee access to data. Only allowing employees access to data that they need to get their job done.
Be aware of the devices connected to your network.
Ensure devices receive necessary patches.
Create hybrid workforce security policies:
-Only accessing sensitive data on managed work devices.
-Only using work devices for work-related tasks. (i.e. Not allowing your kids to play on your work laptop.)
-Not using public WiFi to access or share sensitive information.
-Use your VPN when not in the office.
7. Update security awareness training:
-In the office or at home always remember to hover over links before clicking them to inspect the full URL for anything suspicious and not to download files or attachments from unknown senders.
-Make sure security mistakes are reported. It can be easier to not let your I.T. department or MSP know if you accidentally entered information on a phishing website while working from home since you may think they will not ever find out or they do not want to get in trouble. However, it’s very important to let your MSP/I.T. department know, so they can take the necessary action.
Michael Chandler, Service Project Manager at A-1 Refrigeration, put it simply “With a strong VPN and being careful what you open you should be OK. People made it work when they had no choice.”
Acknowledging there are new security needs for a hybrid workforce is the first step in better protecting your organization from threats. From there you can add or modify your current security policies to reflect the needs of your in-office and out-of-office staff members. After implementing the above recommendations your organization will be more secure from hackers taking advantage of companies that are not familiar with this newly popular way of work.