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    Ways Cybersecurity Can Help Your Staff Return to Work Safely

    While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact organizations across the country, business leaders are steadily making decisions towards returning to offices and restoring a sense of normalcy to everyday operations. All these decisions should be made with the priority of everyone’s health and safety above all else. There should also be a strong emphasis on the cyber safety of the organization as well. Remote work has exposed several security flaws that exist along the perimeter, and it’s crucial that these holes be filled in the process of returning to the office. Here are a few cybersecurity considerations for helping organizations return to their normal workplace.

    Take It Slow

    While everyone is eager to return to their office space, there shouldn’t be a sense of urgency in rushing everyone back. Organizations must trust the process of their remote work contingency plan and not abandon ship too early. The health of everyone is of the upmost importance when it comes to returning to work. Plus, taking it slow also has cybersecurity advantages as well. Laptops and devices that have been used at remote sites, away from the office, often times have not been properly updated. When those devices reconnect to the corporate network it can create high risk to other devices connected to that network. Phasing the return of employees is most beneficial because it allows a slow progression of thoroughly analyzed stages to allow everyone to resume work from the office.

    Conduct A Device Quarantine

    As noted, devices returning to the corporate network pose a major threat to company security. The zero-trust model should be followed for implementing devices back into the network. Devices should be inspected, updated and validated by the security team before being reintroduced online and onto the company servers. This may seem like an inconvenience to many employees, but it’s certainly not worth the risk to skip quarantining devices.

    Educate Employees

    When the pandemic struck, many companies were given little to no time to prepare their employees on good cyber practices. Cyber education is crucial in the transition back to the office due to the high number of phishing attacks and other security threats that employees face. Transitions can amplify these vulnerabilities for hackers, meaning that employees must be properly educated on defending the company on the cyber front.

    Accommodating Those Who Can’t Return

    The safety of employees proceeds any return strategy. This means that, while there are many employees that are eager to return to the office, many employees won’t be able to return due to underlying health conditions that put them at risk. These individuals must be accounted and accommodated for in their remote workspace. CISOs must consider a long-term strategy that will ensure that these individuals are able to continue working effectively and securely.

     

    Conclusion

    While business leaders are eager to see their organizations return to normal, there must be strong consideration for proper timing and adequate security. Hackers are watching these transitions, looking for opportunities to hit companies with an attack that might have the potential of causing substantial damage.

    NXTsoft wants to ensure that your data is handled properly during those much anticipated transitions back to the office. NXTsoft’s security experts and resources can work alongside business leaders and employees to protect essential assets from falling into the wrong hands. If your organization is returning back to the office, make sure it’s as safe and secure as possible!