The pandemic forcibly launched a worldwide work-from-home experiment that became a permanent reality for many businesses. While enabling a remote workforce increases flexibility and productivity, it also exposes new security risks and vulnerabilities. As remote work endures, implementing robust security controls for your remote employees is absolutely essential.
Secure Connectivity
With staff working from insecure home networks, creating a secure, encrypted tunnel back to corporate resources is job one. Virtual private networks (VPNs) have long been the standard, but ZTNA (zero trust network access) has emerged as the modern alternative. According to the experts over at Hillstone Networks, ZTNA verifies user identity, device security posture and grants conditional access, rather than wide open network access like VPNs.
Endpoint Security Fundamentals
Every remote device requires built-in security protections like antivirus/anti-malware, firewalls, web filtering, encryption, and data loss prevention (DLP). Cloud-delivered security services enable consistent securing of any device, anywhere.
Hardened Device Security
Besides protective software, security configurations for remote devices must be hardened. This includes BIOS-level security settings, patching, complex passwords/screen-locks, USB port restrictions and disk encryption, to thwart physical attacks and tampering.
Multi-Factor Authentication
With remote workers logging in outside the corporate LAN, multifactor authentication on all accounts/systems is an absolute must rather than relying solely on passwords or other single-factor authentication. MFA combines factors like one-time codes, mobile push alerts, biometrics, security keys, etc.
Cloud Security Visibility
Many businesses rushed to adopt cloud apps, collaboration, and VoIP tools to support remote productivity. Now IT teams need granular visibility and control over cloud activity, data security, user access, and cloud-native threats via cloud access security broker (CASB) solutions.
Micro-segmentation
To minimize lateral threat movement on the corporate network, consider implementing network micro-segmentation. This zero trust security model divides networks into secure micro-segments using firewalls, limiting communication and access between zones.
Web Application Security
Bad actors are increasingly targeting web-based applications, collaboration tools, and remote gateways. Implementing web application firewalls and web security scanners helps identify application vulnerabilities and threats targeting web apps remotely.
Robust Authentication Mechanisms
Properly authenticating remote users should involve multiple stages. First is primary multi-factor authentication, followed by assessing the device posture and security status. Only then should conditional or zero trust access be granted and limited to the minimum required resources.
Remote Workforce Security Training
Security training for remote staff is not optional. Teach fundamentals like safe public Wi-Fi, physical security, spotting phishing attacks, password hygiene, malware prevention, and data handling best practices. Regular comprehension testing will reinforce good behaviors.
Collaborating Effectively
While not directly security-related, facilitating effective collaboration and communication is key for distributed teams. Tools for video conferencing, screen sharing, team chat, task management, and document co-authoring will help mitigate productivity challenges.
Rethinking Remote Management
All remote IT management processes and tools, like MDM and RMM, need to be re-evaluated through a new security and efficiency lens. Automation and cloud-delivered tools are a must for simplicity.
Secure Printing and File Transfer
Allowing remote workers to securely transfer files and print from their homes is an often-overlooked consideration. Solutions for secure managed file transfer, secure pull printing, and enterprise integration securely enable these workflows.
Legal and Compliance Complexities
The shift to remote work has increased legal exposure risks for many businesses in areas like data privacy, compliance audits, duty of care, employee surveillance, and more. Consulting employment lawyers can help navigate these new complexities.
Conclusion
While some companies are shifting back to office-centric operations, most experts predict hybrid or fully remote workforces will remain permanent for many organizations. With such a distributed and Internet-exposed attack surface, augmenting your security tools and processes for remote users is no longer optional.
