FEATURE : INSIDER THREATS
IT TEAMS NEED TO SCAN ALL CORPORATE AND PERSONAL EMPLOYEE DEVICES THAT WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE NETWORK .
Some companies did a good job getting ahead of security threats . When remote working became standard practice , some were able to issue company standard devices with regularly patched antivirus security . But the majority found themselves scrambling to enable quick and adequate working-from-home setups that didn ’ t require regular updates , patches and security checks .
A cybersecurity survey conducted in February reflects just how unprepared enterprises appear to be for the return-to-work security threat . Of those surveyed , 61 % used their own personal devices – not work-issued computers – at home . Only 9 % used an employer-issued antivirus solution , and only 51 % received IT support services while transitioning to remote workstations .
Administrators are bracing for trouble . They ’ re bringing large numbers of potentially unsecured devices back into the fold at the same time they ’ re preparing to accommodate a new normal based on hybrid home / office staffing .
According to Veeam ’ s Data Protection Report , organizations increased their cloud services usage significantly as a result of remote work , and the trend is expected to continue , meaning there will be more endpoints to protect .
So , how can organizations prepare for this transition ? Here are a few steps they can take :
Undergo rigorous return-towork preparation
This is essentially the step where IT administrators physically go through all the affected resources and ensure they ’ re ready to re-enter the game .
Start by carrying out risk assessments for each employee and each device . Which devices have been patched and regularly maintained ? Computers used for remote working are likely to have confidential company data on them ; where has the company data been saved and under which account ?
These checks need to be performed to minimize risk and make sure compliance standards like General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) is being maintained .
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