Allowing employees to put their work hours in from the location of their choice was a topic of discussion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but when work from anywhere became a mandatory situation in 2020, it was clear that cyber security strategies needed to be addressed in a new way. Identifying the right security solutions is among the most important things companies can prioritize to protect themselves from threats specific to remote work situations.
After the initial scramble to equip employees with the right connectivity, IT security teams turned to the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic. Remote teams accessing company resources via a home network demonstrated the need for combining virtualized networking with advanced distributed security.
According to a 2022 study, 94% of respondents1 said their plans for the adoption of secure access service edge (SASE) solutions accelerated because of remote work requirements. Most said cloud security was on top of the list of reasons for adopting SASE solutions. Also cited as important were innovation for cloud application migration and artificial intelligence; security strategies, including zero trust; and network security solutions that improved connections while ramping up security.
Cloud-Focused Security
Whether you’re updating your endpoint detection response solutions (EDR) or zero trust network access (ZTNA), you need to upgrade your cloud-based security services. The complexity increases for securing the network when employees are using out-of-office networks to connect with your servers, which is why EDR and ZTNA are fast becoming the solutions cyber security teams are using to shut the “open doors” that cyber criminals exploit.
SASE is not a single tool that can be added to your security strategy, but instead an approach that tends to include ZTNA, secure web gateway, software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN), and next generation firewall. Some companies find firewall as a service solution helpful, as well as cloud-based secure web gateways. When combined in a cohesive strategy they can help close any security gaps and prevent malicious actors from accessing company data.
Enterprise Coverage
Most home networks where employees are putting in the bulk of their remote work can become congested with all their personal devices, including multiple smartphones, internet televisions, computers, etc. But in order to pursue a level of security that includes remote workers, home networks must be addressed in any comprehensive SASE strategy. The best security solutions will cover all the devices in the home, ensuring optimal bandwidth for work-related tasks, while prioritizing the privacy that employees expect when using a personal device.
Partner with a Trusted Professional
At Independent Connections, our focus is on making sure our clients are connected with work from anywhere solutions that protect them from a variety of threats. We know organizations are feeling the burden of keeping up with technology that allows for optimal performance without sacrificing cyber security. Contact us at Independent Connections and find out how we can help address all of your IT security challenges.
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