The hybrid work model has prompted businesses to rethink how they approach cybersecurity and protect the privacy of customer data.
Reports reveal that hackers have been taking advantage of work-from-home employees since the coronavirus pandemic started at the beginning of 2024.
Many companies were not prepared for such upheaval and data protection measures were not in place. Interpol reported a 788 percent growth in high-risk registrations in the first two months of lockdown.
Companies were simply not ready to defend work-from-home employees against the threat of malicious actors. Many still aren’t. CNBC reports that 80% of small businesses are not concerned about cyberattacks.
Moving into 2024, attitudes might change. With more companies contemplating reverting to a hybrid workplace, decision-makers need to strengthen IT security for a remote workforce.
One survey indicates that 45% of companies are converting to a hybrid model as the world prepares to live and work with Covid. With more employees splitting their time between the office and remote locations, the parameters for cybersecurity are significantly altered.
Virtual Applications
There are no cookie-cutter IT security solutions. Every business has unique needs and there are several layers of cybersecurity measures that ought to be put in place.
An important piece to any cybersecurity jigsaw, however, has to be a virtual desktop (VDs). Micro Pro, a leading IT Security specialist in London points out that virtual desktops are the answer to remote working and BYOD challenges.
The principal advantage of installing a virtual desktop is to allow your workforce to work from anywhere without the risk of hackers accessing your network – because VDs do not store data on physical devices.
Bear with me because this can take a moment to get your head around. VDs are stored in a centralized location in an off-site data center. To access the desktop and the files you use for your business, remote workers have to go through a secure gateway in the cloud.
This essentially gives hackers less opportunity to find a way onto your network. VD’s also wipe user data after each session so passwords cannot be traced with sophisticated software.
Manage Remote Devices
VDs also make managing critical business devices far easier for IT professionals and data controllers. Because they are managed from a central location, administrators can establish the criteria for users trying to access an application.
Processing and storing data on a wide variety of devices that are used to access your business network is much harder to monitor and enforce cybersecurity protocols.
For example, when the productivity app you use needs updating, every one of your employees that has the app on their mobile device would be responsible for performing the update.
Wrap Up
Virtual applications are a cost-effective solution that empowers employees to work from remote locations – and at the same time improves cybersecurity measures.
For companies contemplating switching to a hybrid model, installing a virtual desktop adds a solid layer of protection to your business network.
