Recently, major browsers have started to improve processes for users to change compromised passwords. The reality is that now more than ever, users need tools for dealing with passwords caught in data breaches.
For many organizations, remote working is no longer a luxury for a handful of employees. On the contrary, with the pandemic rising, organizations transferred their workforce into the digital world, almost overnight.
Moving online comes with benefits such as more productivity and lower overhead. However, remote working changes the network, and companies have started to see more security vulnerabilities due to this sudden transformation. The increased number of mobile devices, the cloud, and numerous Wi-Fi connections may challenge the cybersecurity of a business in various ways.
So, it’s the perfect time to start rethinking the access policies for your remote workforce. How could a company do it seamlessly, and what should it pay attention to? This article sheds light on a few essential issues.
Taking into account the employees access habits
The first step in updating your remote access policy is to better understand your network. Do you take into account your workforce’s habits and changing locations? The security team needs to ensure that they fully understand whether the access policy matches a remote workforce. Then, it’s crucial to revisit the policies that have been designed for on-premises. Your IT people can also help in determining if there are any gaps.
Keep your teams protected, connected, and productive
Remote work brings inevitable challenges in terms of security risks into the company, and today, there’s a rise in ransomware and phishing attacks. So, it’s more important than ever to keep your teams protected when there are more chances for them to open new entry points for attacks.
The identification of users with similar access needs is a key fundamental of remote-access policies. That’s why custom-access controls are vital. It’s also essential to enforce encryption processes for remote network access that will enable you to mandate secure access to resources while verifying each remote employee.
Authentication processes
The processes and methods of authentication are expected to evolve and develop, reaching for superior biometric-based authentication. In the meantime, the context of remote access will be vital in the authentication methods. So, where employees are located when working remotely will be as important as their fingerprints or facial recognition.
For the remote access policy in the new year, enhance your password practices and multi-factor authentication (MFA), by making them mandatory. Consider implementing a password manager or Single Sign-On solution, as many times, employees’ habits of creating passwords leave room for widening the attack surface of your network. Instead, a password manager simplifies the remote sign-in process.
The workforce of the future
No longer a surprise for companies, mobile threats have been on the rise in the past year, and the majority of enterprises have seen more security risks than ever before.
However, the remote workforce is here to stay, even after the COVID-19 vaccine will have been successful. This trend is changing IT’s perspective, which needs to update the security and customize it for the remote workforce of the future. The right security solutions will protect both employees’ devices and the network, providing flexibility in strengthened access policies.
Reducing the risks of tomorrow starts with updating old and outdated systems.
Conclusion
Work processes and habits have shifted. Being mobile and remote is no longer about people on the road staying connected but about employees working from home. Organizations should pay extra attention to authentication processes and keep their people protected from attacks while also protecting the network. Last but not least, consider access habits and build access policies for the remote workforce of the future.
