Cover Feature Cyber Security
COVERRE FEATU
How to reduce work from home risks in a post-COVID world
W By Geoff Schomburgk Vice President for Australia & New Zealand at Yubico
Episode 205 Going Passwordless Interview with Yubico's ANZ Country Manager 38 | Cyber Risk Leaders Magazine
ith vast numbers of employees now working from home, we have entered a new normal, and whilst a few people are now going back to their workplaces as restrictions ease, many office workers are likely to continue to work from home for the rest of the year. The technology giants like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Slack and Twitter have all made this move with some saying it has proven to be just as productive as the traditional office. These innovative market leaders often set the standards for best practices, which could influence how other companies develop their secure work from home strategies going forward. Whilst Australian organisations continue to navigate this difficult time — focusing on maintaining productivity, boosting employee morale, and equipping remote teams with the software and tools they need — many companies are also thinking about how this ‘new’ way of working will change their business for good and accelerate their path to digital transformation. James Calder, the global director of Woods Bagot-owned office design consultancy, Era-co has said that hot-desking, shared kitchens and crowded public
transport are a thing of the pre-COVID era and he said: “It's the end of activity-based work as we know it.” One thing is certain; as more core business functions and applications move to the cloud, a strong, yet flexible, security foundation is critical to reducing risk exposure for an organisation. In fact, we’re seeing this now. Working from home introduces new complexities that aren’t typically present in a secure and trusted office environment. Managing access to essential corporate applications, while also adjusting to rapidly support a remote workforce, has been challenging for many companies and rightfully so. When supporting a remote workforce, there is more ambiguity and uncertainty of an employee’s environment, making it critical for organisations to reestablish trust with their users and the devices they’re using.
Back to the basics with two-factor authentication How do you ensure individuals accessing your IT systems are really who they say they are? You lock the front door.
