As organizations start to think about the post-pandemic work environment, many are re-considering the benefits and drawbacks of remote work. Allowing employees to work from home increases morale but can also increase the risks. From leaking company data to ransomware, remote employees have created a host of new challenges for security professionals. Let’s look at some of the most serious risks – which I've observed since working from home – and review how IT and security professionals can work to better protect their organizations.
Depending on the setup, a corporate environment can only update a device connected to the corporate network, typically with a VPN. If employees don't regularly connect over a VPN, updates to security software and configuration changes might not happen. Without a connection to a corporate Active Directory, updating software falls on the user. Not all users will have the knowledge or ability to update all programs, which can create more work for IT.