written by
Zack Calloway

Staff Working Remotely? Make Sure Your Security Protection Is Sufficient

Remote Work Network Security 3 min read
If any of your staff work remotely, you need to be on top of this

Is remote or hybrid work here to stay for your business? It is for many (formerly) office-based businesses operating in services or in the knowledge economy.

If you weren’t set up for remote work before the pandemic, chances are you had to pivot quickly to get set up for remote work or work from home. And many businesses that went remote for the first time were operating in “emergency mode”: all that mattered was finding a way to keep business going.

But as the pandemic eases into endemic status, one thing is clear: remote work isn’t going away, and hybrid is here to stay, too.

If you have staff working remotely, it’s time to make sure your security protection is sufficient. One recent industry poll found that only around half of businesses today had the kind of security protection they need to keep employees and their organization safe no matter where people work.

Those aren’t good odds.

Here’s what you need to know so you can keep your organization safe even as you allow people to work remotely or on a hybrid basis.

Half of Businesses Have Cloud-Based Security Protection

That recent survey found that around half of today’s businesses have cloud-based security protection. This is security protection that works anywhere, not just on your local network.

Sure, there are other ways to keep your network secure, like VPN. But those can be difficult to set up and even more challenging to understand for nontechnical users.

That leaves roughly the other half of modern businesses that just aren’t protected or prepared for this new world of remote or hybrid work — even though most of them are already offering it to their employees!

Among the businesses that remain unprotected, around 9% plan to make this a priority in the coming year, and another 15% are at least looking into the topic.

That’s marginally good news, but it means that still 26% of businesses aren’t protected and aren’t looking into getting protected!

Cybersecurity Threats On the Rise

You don’t have to be a tech news insider to know that cybersecurity threats are on the rise: ransomware attacks regularly make the normal news cycle, as do data breaches. And malware and phishing schemes are rampant.

Digital crooks never let a crisis go to waste, and they capitalized on all the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Part of their success was due to the increasing sophistication of their attacks. They’re getting better, smarter, and more sneaky.

But another factor has been the weak security procedures that many businesses had — and still have — in place.

Top Security Solutions for Hybrid and Remote Businesses

So what should a business like yours do to get better protected? There are several solutions that can help.

First, if you’re still using a network-based security solution, it’s time to modernize and move to a cloud-based solution. Cloud security protects your data everywhere because it operating in the cloud, which doesn’t rely as heavily on making sure every device is clean and safe.

When you move to the cloud, you gain the security and durability of your cloud provider’s servers (usually a massive company like Google or Amazon). No matter how great your IT department, there’s just no way you can match that level of security using your own server in a closet on site.

Another option is implementing better next-gen VPNs, which are a fairly reliable way to offer network access to remote employees. Zero-trust solutions may be worth exploring as well.

Ultimately what you need is a better security partner, someone you can trust to get your company protected no matter where your employees are working.

Blue Ridge Technology is ready to help you do exactly that.

Call us today to set up a security assessment.

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