hybrid work and data protection.
Hybrid work environments support a mix of at-home and in-office arrangements.
While the shift to remote work may have felt sudden last year, the pandemic only accelerated what was already a natural progression toward hybrid work. As a result, people are now creating, storing, and sharing data in new ways.
At its most basic level, hybrid work must include both a hybrid workforce and a hybrid technology environment that can support work from anywhere.
unique challenges of hybrid work.
Along with the opportunities, embracing a hybrid work model also presents several challenges.
security
The first potential issue could be that a hybrid workplace makes security a moving target. With employees requiring remote access to the company network on a broad array of devices and from every imaginable location, there is no practical way to set up a security perimeter.
We are talking about a workforce that has spent the last year discovering new ways to work. They are now more mobile, jumping between devices and networks, and also more likely to leverage cloud collaboration technologies to share potentially sensitive information between colleagues. Users are mixing personal and corporate data more than ever, and they are more susceptible to phishing attacks.
Last year, data security threats saw a sharp rise with the introduction of work from home for the majority of companies. This rise happened not only due to malicious outsiders looking to exploit security vulnerabilities, but also due to insider threats such as human error and social engineering.
IT also loses visibility when users are working from home and now has to protect both in-house and remote work environments and allow employees to move fluidly between them. This requires two robust security strategies which must seamlessly work together, whether employees are in the office, in a coffee shop, or in a car.
All of this creates new cybersecurity and data protection challenges for businesses as they transition to hybrid work.
Therefore, for employers, securing their data is one of the most challenging components of managing both in-person and remote workers.
network access and speed
Another big challenge for companies is managing workers logging in to company devices from various locales. The vulnerabilities are increasing as companies expand out that network and more people are working from home.
It is recommended to use a virtual private network (VPN) when accessing your company’s network remotely. A VPN provides an encrypted communication channel between the employee’s device and the server to which it is connecting too. Along with that, a multi-factor authentication (MFA) should always be used where possible. MFA provides a more robust authentication process as it requires additional factors.
Speed could also be an issue. Remote workers are no longer sending requests directly over the internet. A traditional VPN solution means that all those employees are first sending the request to the office network and then the request goes out to the internet. If the VPN connection introduces latency, the delays may disrupt business processes. This can also cause an issue when workers have bandwidth limits in their home locations.
Companies that adopt a hybrid working model should be planning and working towards a truly distributed workforce, with services available securely from anywhere, at any time, and on any device.
endpoint breaches
Because remote and hybrid workers use multiple devices for work and connect with unmanaged devices which raise the potential for data leakage, another great concern are endpoint breaches. While most IT-managed devices download and install security patches automatically when connected to the company network, that's not necessarily happening when someone is working remotely.
disruption
Last but not the smallest challenge of a hybrid workforce is that the disruption of established processes, like productivity, communication and collaboration, will continue.
how to handle hybrid work.
There are key security recommendations for any business looking to adopt hybrid work arrangements for their employees that can help keep their business safe.
dedicate a security team
Companies adopting a hybrid work model should hire or assign IT staff members to focus solely on security or find a managed IT services partner to handle security for the company.
enforce device security
IT should pay special attention to their employees’ devices for work-related tasks. These work devices should be kept up to date with the latest anti-virus and anti-malware software in order to reduce the risk of outsider threats.
For risks originating within the organization, a company should implement a data loss prevention (DLP) solution. With a DLP, a business can minimize the risk of data loss, leakage, and theft by safeguarding sensitive data categories directly. When applied on the endpoint, DLP policies stay active regardless of a device’s location and can, thus, support remote compliance.
Another critical security requirement is securing mobile and printer devices that employees use outside the office wall. Otherwise, companies' data is open to security threats such as phishing, mobile malware, and accidental or intentional data leaks by staff.
To avoid these, companies could establish a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy. This should provide clear guidance on what personal devices employees can use for work, how they should access information safely and securely, and best practices for mobile security.
Using appropriate encryption is another essential security measure with a hybrid workforce. Encryption is useful against cyberattacks and cases when a device is lost or stolen, as unauthorized people can’t access the data.
optimize productivity and collaboration
In a hybrid workspace, it is crucial for a company to balance collaboration security and employee productivity.
For remote workers and hybrid teams, collaboration tools are easy to adopt and help to enhance productivity. Still, they also increase security threats through easy and often uncontrolled file-sharing and team collaboration. These tools usually have basic built-in security capabilities but often do not provide adequate protection from some of the most common security risks, like data leaks and data loss.
Insider threats are very present when a team uses work-stream collaboration tools. These can take different forms, such as an accidental share of a customer database, an intentional disclosure of company business plans, or sending sensitive data to the public cloud.
IT must find solutions to reduce these security risks by monitoring and blocking confidential data being shared.
embrace zero trust
“Never trust, always verify” is the core principle of the Zero Trust security model. It means that there is no implicit trust granted to networks, systems, or data. The model assumes that each request to access assets or resources needs verification, whether it comes from inside or outside of the traditional firewall.
If an organization adopts a hybrid model, that means a mobile workforce - it needs to protect people, devices, apps, and data, regardless of their location. Insider threats continue to be a significant risk in this case, and having a zero-trust mindset is helpful whether employees are in the office or work from home.
Another principle of Zero Trust is the least privilege access, which means minimizing each user’s exposure to sensitive parts of the network. Access to systems and applications works on a need-to-know basis, including employees, partners, and contractors.
Micro-segmentation is also a crucial component. This means breaking up security perimeters into small zones to maintain separate access for separate parts of the network.
Multi-factor authentication is a core value of Zero Trust. It requires more than one piece of evidence to authenticate a user: entering a password alone is insufficient for gaining access.
secure cloud-based solutions and services
In hybrid work environments, cloud solutions and services are frequently used because they offer flexibility, accessibility, and easier scalability. Companies can mistakenly believe that the provider is solely responsible for the security of the cloud environment. However, businesses also have a responsibility for securing their data and user access, whether the cloud service is Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
Some of the best practices to secure your information in cloud environments are monitoring, controlling, and limiting access to files, keeping your network security up-to-date, and using strong passwords. It is also recommended to encrypt sensitive data before transferring it to the cloud.
train the workforce
A new working model comes with new threats and demands advanced awareness. This means that security efforts are incomplete without employee training.
If a company wants to remain safe and as efficient as possible in a flexible work environment, it should consider (re)training employees, especially those that are hybrid or fully remote. Focus should be on the threats and risks they need to be aware of, as well as the cybersecurity best practices they need to know.
The hybrid workforce is among the most prominent changes arising in the post-pandemic world. Therefore, securing data across a hybrid IT infrastructure is a primary responsibility for any organization, especially with emerging data protection regulations.
update business continuity and disaster recovery plans
As businesses navigate what comes next, IT professionals must adapt to the changing face of the workplace and create data protection strategies that are up to the challenge.
If a company is moving to a hybrid work environment, it is critical to review the business continuity and disaster recovery plans and update them immediately. An outdated business continuity plan could mean a disaster if a cyberattack, weather event or other unplanned disruption knocks out your systems. The financial cost of rebuilding after a disaster can be overwhelming. If a company is prepared for emergencies, you’ll be in a better position to recover and continue operations in case a disaster strikes.
The world of work is changing and the hybrid working model is becoming the future of work.
This past year has led to an evolution in not only how we think about work, but more importantly, where we get our work done. With the hybrid work model, the amount of data at risk is skyrocketing. In response, companies must take action to strategically measure the viability and effectiveness of their existing security controls and obtain the right level of visibility and control across all devices. By embracing defensive best practices, every business can eliminate blind spots, identify weaknesses, quickly mitigate threats, and significantly reduce the risk of the hybrid working model.
Should data loss occur and your business is in need of recovering critical data, Kotar Data Recovery can help to recover lost data from any situation and any storage device.
