et, there were downsides to the sudden WFH policies. For some workers, it was hard to find an area at home in which to work. Some homes lacked adequate internet connections. Additionally, the distributed workforce added complexity to company networks and put them more at risk. According to a recent TechRepublic article, “The dramatic shift to hybrid-style work is actually likely to accelerate the need for good networking technology and standards.”
And that’s just one reason now is the right time for businesses to improve their network security. Here, BairesDev examines this reason and others for strengthening network security now.
Remote Work Arrangements
Remote work is here to stay, and companies job function email list must ensure their distributed networks are secure against rising cyber threats from outside and inside their borders. Greater use of cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS) mean a higher number of attack vectors for bad actors to gain access to your and your customers’ data.
In addition to the use of cloud computing and SaaS, employers must deal with the bring your own device (BYOD) phenomenon. Employees want to use their own devices for work rather than having, for example, 2 mobile phones — one for work and one for personal use.
Sounds like a great idea, right?
It can be, but organizations must ensure how to attract and retain top developers strict policies for security on every device. To do so, companies should encrypt all employee devices, install security software, and make users aware of rules about Wi-Fi use and other data loss prevention best practices.
With many employees offsite, another security issue is inadequate backup and recovery processes. In the event of a cyberattack, these procedures are critical for restoring lost data. The best way to address this issue is to implement a robust cloud backup system that all workers can use, no matter where they’re working from.
Increasing Cyber Breaches
Cyber crime is on the rise, especially since the pandemic started. In a recent article, Forbes Agency Council member David Fouse states, “Not long after the outbreak first took hold…the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center began receiving 3,000 to 4,000 daily cybersecurity complaints — a more than threefold increase from the 1,000 daily complaints it was receiving prior to the pandemic.
Recent news stories about SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline, and JBS confirm this troubling trend. They indicate that even companies that have software in widespread use and those that provide essential services like gas and food are at risk.
Orders From the Top
National governments are also at risk, including the U.S. The matter has become dire enough for President Bident to issue an Executive Order to help improve the U.S.’s cybersecurity and protect federal government networks. According to the White House, the Executive Order takes the following steps:
- Removes barriers to threat vietnam data information sharing between government and the private sector
- Modernizes and implements stronger cybersecurity standards in the federal government
- Improves software supply chain security
- Establishes a cybersecurity safety review board
- Creates a standard playbook for responding to cyber incidents
- Improves detection of cybersecurity incidents on federal government networks
- Improves investigative and remediation capabilities.