HP Innovation Journal Issue 15: Summer 2020 | Page 65

PHOTOGRAPH BY YASU & JUNKO / TRUNK ARCHIVE
BUSINESSES
NEED TO REVIEW
THEIR SECURITY
TOOLS, TECH-
NOLOGY CHOICES,
POLICIES, AND
PROCEDURES.
41%
of employees
are likely
to continue
working from
home some
of the time.
AWAY FROM
MORE SECURE
CORPORATE
NETWORKS,
ENDPOINTS
NEED TO
BE ABLE TO
PROTECT
THEMSELVES.
that every endpoint purchase decision should be a security decision.”
Besides computers, remote workers need to take a careful look at
the rest of the home hardware they are using. For example, employees
should lock down their routers with unique passwords since
hackers attack routers constantly.
“It’s very easy to get into your PC through your router,” Singh says.
“When you get infected at work, the IT department takes your PC
off the grid so you can’t infect others, but when you get infected at
home, the chance for you to be the host that takes the entire company
down is very high.”
Remote workers should also consider putting any connected
devices like smart thermostats or voice assistants on a separate
wireless network and creating a dedicated one for their work
computer if their home router supports it. Printers, which are
connected to the internet but are often overlooked, should also go
on the separate network since they are regularly targeted in hacks.
If employees need to keep a printer online at home, they should
make sure the device has up-to-date firmware and download any
patches the manufacturer has released to keep it secure.
Deflect attacks with software solutions
An important way to protect data relies on using virtual “containers,”
which can isolate any potential malware and keep it off a computer.
HP is offering its version of the technology, called HP Sure Click
Pro, which helps protect from web, email, and document-based
security threats, free of charge through September 30 for HP and
non-HP Windows 10 PC users. Even for HP Sure Click users, the
Pro version will enhance the experience with additional features,
such as the ability to edit Word and Excel documents within an
isolated container.
Another software service that many companies need to consider
for long-term working from home is remote monitoring, in which a
security team keeps track of threats across a spread-out network of
computers and shuts them down. In a time when many companies
are seeing a drop in business, remote monitoring might seem like
a steep expense, but not spending the money now could lead to an
even costlier mistake.
“You can do everything to protect yourself, but [attacks] are going
to happen, and you have to be able to detect and respond,” Hamilton
says. “If you get a bad piece of malware right now, you’re done.”
While everyone’s workday feels in flux, the role of the IT manager
might be especially challenging. Their job has them pivoting their
office infrastructure to support a predominantly remote workforce.
According to HP’s COVID-19 pulse survey data, 40% of IT decision
makers plan to augment security because of the current situation.
As for budgets, 44% are spending more, compared with 26% who
are cutting back.
With all these changes, managers need to check in with IT workers
to confirm they aren’t overwhelmed as they work to protect
a suddenly dispersed workforce while potentially working from
home themselves.
“Pushing everyone remote essentially overnight and then having
to maintain security is a huge challenge, and companies need to
continue to praise their IT workers and give them the tools they
need,” Howard says. “They are all heroes.”
INNOVATION/ SUMMER 2020
63