Remote working – the fast-becoming new norm.

As a copywriter, I've always taken measures to secure my workstations, since I tend to move a lot to see various clients on their premises, or simply moving my own workstation. However, most professionals and their organizations are not accustomed to remote working and the extra sensitivity it requires with regards to cybersecurity.

The lockdown measures against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) have already made their mark on our way of life and business. Studies show that remote working is here to stay. What began as a temporary measure to reduce coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission rates has now become a long-term strategy for many organizations, including Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter and other corporate giants.

Upper management is realizing that, in many cases, productivity has increased with remote workstations. Moreover, corporations can abundantly demonstrate corporate social responsibility by reducing employee carbon footprints through reduced commuting. What’s more is that rent costs can go down, if most workstations can be accommodated in employees’ homes.

The fear of a global pandemic has been imprinted in our collective psyche. Seeing how easy it is for a large company to close down from one day to the next resulting from a single infection, remote working will always be the dominant strategy from now on, where possible.

However, there are inherent risks in workstations being positioned well beyond organizational cyber defense perimeters. This rapidly expanding cyber-threat landscape with its widened cyberattack surfaces brings novel threats and vulnerabilities that more organizations are simply too inexperienced and unprepared to address.

To safeguard against the possibility of disastrous data breaches, organizations need to secure their remote workstations reliable VPN solutions, email encryption & security solutions, secure network infrastructure and top-of-the-range cybersecurity awareness and training for their staff to be equipped with the best security practices.

Is your organization prepared to address this new corporate world where remote workstations are placed well beyond the confines of organizational cyber defenses? Are you?