We live in a hybrid world. The mobility of employees is essential. The ability to work from anywhere, as if you were in the office, has become the "new normal" of modern organizations.
The evolution to this scenario requires investments in various areas of mobility, not only at the level of equipment but also in core areas of the systems of organizations. A robust infrastructure capable of supporting multiple external accesses, a security policy designed for such a scenario, and modern and agile applications, among many other critical components, are essential to enable employees to be equally productive regardless of where they are.
To make this transition efficient, ten main concerns that any IT manager should be aware of stand out:
- Security and Data Privacy Ensuring that sensitive information is adequately protected and implementing an efficient data privacy policy should be at the top of the priorities. The multiplicity of devices that nowadays access an organization's network - mobile devices, computers, etc. - and their geographical dispersion are points of concern that the IT manager should be particularly attentive to. Implementing device encryption, secure authentication, or remote wipe capabilities solutions is therefore mandatory.
- Device Management Managing many devices, operating systems, and applications in an increasingly complex ecosystem is another "hot" topic. The IT managers of organizations must implement mobile device management (MDM) policies and observability solutions to ensure compliance with all the security rules and standards defined.
- Network SecurityNowadays, we are permanently connected. Connections to different networks, public Wi-Fi, home networks, and business networks are part of the daily life of any hybrid worker. This is another concern of any IT department. Mitigate risk exposure. It is, therefore, essential to reinforce the connectivity protocols and ensure data protection "in transit".
- App Security: Mobile applications are another factor of increased risk. Nowadays, we are not only talking about hybrid employees… we are also talking about hybrid devices. Phones and computers are used for professional purposes, but also personal ones. Professional applications mixed with streaming platforms, social networks, and net banking, among others. How do we ensure that only trusted apps are used? App whitelisting and blacklisting policies are increasingly common.
- Mobile Application Management (MAM)As well as MDM, MAM solutions should also be considered. Implement policies to monitor application assignment, updates, and usage and implement security solutions capable of identifying vulnerabilities or intrusion attempts.
- Compliance and RegulationEach industry has its specificities regarding regulation and compliance, which can impact the organization's mobility policy. Orchestrating all these variables is another concern of any IT manager.
- User Experience and AdoptionThe focus must be more than just security. User experience or employee experience is decisive. No one wants to work with legacy, obsolete, non-agile systems that only make us waste more time! A too-restrictive mobility policy is counterproductive and promotes the search for alternative strategies and other tools, which can compromise the entire policy defined. Finding an adequate balance between security, user experience, and mobility is necessary.
- Data OwnershipDefine data ownership, permissions, access, and sharing policies to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive and critical information.
- ScalabilityMandatory! In 2 years, due to a pandemic, we suffered a fantastic digital acceleration. This experience (in some cases, traumatic) taught us a lesson. It is necessary to act quickly, and our systems must be prepared (to the extent that it is predictable) for rapid changes, constant changes, and aggressive scalability. Technology should be a promoter of agility and innovation and not a barrier.
- Training and AwarenessIt could not be missing. It is a standard recommendation but often neglected. The biggest threats to the security of any system often come from employees. The human factor is unavoidable and will remain the "weakest link" in any security and mobility policy. Training, alerting, testing, and monitoring are vital.
Addressing all these concerns should be the priority. Hybrid work mobility and flexibility are here to stay. It is up to organizations to be able to provide it and to technology to meet the demands.
