The month of April has been filled with web meetings and uncertainty.
While we've been advancing our video skills more than we ever thought possible, we’ve also been figuring out how to maneuver through our new circumstances. Like many of you, I have been working hard on getting paperwork together and submitting applications for the Payroll Protection Program.
As the month closes out, I hope that some sense of normalcy starts to creep into May. If we do get to “open the country”, there will be new things that will occupy our minds and time.
Remote Working Isn’t for Everyone
One of those things is the continuation of remote work situations. For those who have found that they can be just as efficient – or more so – working remotely, it may make sense for them to continue working from home.
However, working from home is not for everyone. Some people can’t focus without being in their physical workspace; others don’t have a nice quiet space that lends itself to a productive environment.
Figuring out the best arrangement to keep employees safe and happy, while maximizing productivity will be one of the new hurdles.
Home Networks Can Increase Security Risks
When the government ordered us to stay at home that day in March, employers rushed to get their people up and running from home as quickly as possible. Most likely, not a lot of attention was paid to making sure that employees’ home networks were secure IT environments.
For those that already had security in place for remote workers, their risk of a cyber-attack didn’t change.
For those that did NOT have secure remote workers before this outbreak, there is likely a significant increased risk of compromise on their network now.
I will spare the technical details that separate these two scenarios but let me plant a seed: if you plan to continue with a remote workforce, it’s a good idea to have the system assessed to identify holes.
How to Find Work-From-Home Security Gaps
We’ve just published an eBook that will help you take a step back and figure out where you might have gaps. This is not a technical resource, but a guide to help executives ask the right questions in discussions with your IT Team.
You’ll also learn about tools that will help your remote team stay connected, and how you can use IT strategy to make your business more resilient when you’re presented with a crisis situation – be it a natural disaster, global pandemic, or neighborhood power outage.
You can read and download the eBook on our website: “Enabling Remote Workers with Technology: How to Keep Business Operations Rolling Without Compromising Productivity or Security”.
I hope all is well for you and that your business fires right back up as soon as it can.
Make it a great May,
Marty
