Key technology for securing remote workers

The impact of COVID-19 has given rise to an epidemic of hostile digital equivalents, as organisations fend off cybersecurity threats of every kind. From malicious code and state-sponsored attacks, to stolen data, phishing campaigns and scams preying on peoples' financial and healthcare fears - never have organisations had to be so vigilant about the threat landscape.

The best way to protect an organisation, of course, is to avoid infection in the first place. Firms shifted en masse to home working at the start of the COVID crisis, and that has meant some extremely hasty revaluation - or adoption - of security measures.

Computing research shows that more than 70 per cent of firms were already using strict password policies and VPNs to protect home workers, with only slightly fewer leveraging multi-factor authentication: that is, using a hard- or software token as another layer of security. Almost two-thirds were relying on strong endpoint security and employee cyber risk training, while about half had instituted strict access policies.

Much less common were cloud-based security tools, security automation and dedicated work-only home WiFi networks: all significantly more complex and costly to set up than other methods of protection. However, as the home working trend is widely expected to continue, adoption levels of these tools are set to spike within the next 12 months.

Which of the following tools/measures does your organisation currently utilise to protect your remote workforce? Which will it adopt within 12 months?

The report reveals a clear trend towards the cloud, automation and increased endpoint security as IT leaders and security professionals plan their future cybersecurity responses. With a widely reported rise in cyberattacks targeting home workers and the general public, firms accept the need to invest in the right tools, policies and training to avoid compromise while maintaining productivity.

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