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Cybersecurity should Work even when Workers are not on Board

Posted by Marbenz Antonio on August 1, 2022

The response to Goldman Sachs’ return to the office (RTO) directive was less than expected. In fact, according to Fortune, just roughly half of the company’s employees turned up. Employees have a solid foundation to stand on in today’s tight labor market, with many businesses permitting remote work. How do you keep a workforce that isn’t always willing to comply with your demands?

Employee compliance with cybersecurity measures has long been an essential aspect of cyber protection. On the other hand, employees usually fail to comply on purpose or make mistakes. According to the 2022 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, phishing is the most common way hackers obtain network access. In 2021, phishing accounted for 40% of all attacks remediated by X-Force. Organizations must prioritize maintaining always-on security solutions that do not rely on cyber awareness and security edicts.

Regardless of Compliance, Zero Trust Protects

Organizations that have adopted the Zero Trust framework. Instead of focusing on employee compliance, this secures them with an always-on strategy. According to the 2021 Cyber Resilient Organization research, 35% of respondents have implemented this strategy. 65% of those polled agreed that zero trust security improves cyber resilience. Additionally, 63% of those organizations said a zero trust approach is substantial or moderate. Their main reason? The strategy increased operating efficiency.

Zero trust is not a single technology or procedure. On the other hand, the zero trust method is a framework that businesses use to deploy various strategies and technologies.

Other tactics concentrate on securing the perimeter and preventing an attack. Employers expect their employees to follow procedures and practice good cyber hygiene. You can’t rely on such ways of network security if your workforce is non-compliant.

Why Zero Trust Works for Remote Workers

Here are three common zero-trust elements that apply to remote workers:

• Principle of least privilege: You may minimize risks from both outsiders and insiders by giving staff the least amount of access necessary to execute their tasks. When applied to domain controllers and domain admin accounts, the principle of least privilege is most successful in reducing the danger of ransomware. Remote workers have additional flexibility and can add endpoints. So, limiting connections and user exposure decreases the severity and risk of an attack.
• Microsegmentation: This method divides the network into extremely small segments known as microsegments. It only gives users access to the areas that they require for commercial purposes. If there is a breach or an attacker steals an employee’s credentials, the damage is limited to the small parts affected. Analyze your data flows and infrastructure to identify workload segments if you wish to transition to zero trust.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): MFA makes it more difficult for cybercriminals to pretend as authorized users, whether employees access networks remotely or in-house. Users must utilize more than one piece of proof to prove their identity while using MFA. For example, a user may be required to input a password followed by a code delivered to them through an SMS text message.

Zero Trust Protects Remote Workers

Employees at Goldman Sachs who refuse to return to work are just one example of workers resisting RTO directives. Many employees who have worked remotely over the past two years wish to continue doing so. According to a recent Pew Research Report, 60% of workers with professions that can be performed remotely would like to work from home all or most of the time, up from 54% in 2020.

Additionally, many employees claim that the flexibility to work remotely influences their decision to stay with their employer. According to ADP People at Work: A Global Workforce View, 64% of the global workforce has or would consider looking for a new job if their current position demanded full-time office work. This is a challenge that even large corporations encounter. Apple staff recently made headlines by threatening to resign if the present hybrid strategy of having employees be in the office Tuesday through Thursday is maintained.

Because of the high number of remote workers, there is no longer a perimeter to defend. With a remote or hybrid workforce, organizations are discovering that zero trust delivers better protection. More endpoints and chances to acquire a company’s data result from remote workers, which broadens the assault area. To overcome this, zero trust focuses on device and user access rather than the perimeter. The framework can help to decrease risks and ensure that only authorized people and devices have access to the network, apps, and data.

Creating an Always-On Cybersecurity Process

As remote and hybrid work becomes more prevalent, businesses must constantly adapt their cybersecurity practices to reflect how employees operate. Organizations that now need full-time office hours, or even hybrid work schedules, should consider long-term security consequences to avoid losing valuable personnel to companies that offer more flexible work arrangements.

Organizations can be better prepared for future workforce changes and continuing remote work by starting the zero trust process now. Zero trust enables enterprises to reduce their reliance on compliance while also preparing themselves for security.