“New normal” and cyber-security

As the lockdown restrictions are relaxed, more people are returning to their workplaces; but a large number of employees will also continue to work from home. Workplaces will operate differently, and we would need to adapt to a “new normal”. This will be the case for cyber-security too – and short and long terms plans would need to be put in place to ensure business continuity.

How can businesses ensure business continuity?

• Businesses would need to revisit their IT security policies – with new ways/devices to connect to the internet; the likeliness of cyber-attacks are increasing.
• Security teams need to ensure that cloud services (for example: The cloud and OneDrive) are properly configured to prevent new risks from being introduced to the corporate environment.
• Businesses can develop a cyber-security model that accommodates working from home on an ongoing basis.
• Network segmentation should be introduced to secure the company’s most sensitive data, so that should a cyber-criminal enter the network, they will not be able to gain access to the most critical parts of the system.
• Employees should be educated on an ongoing basis on good cyber hygiene; every worker has a role to play in keeping their company’s data protected from breaches, especially if they are going to have to continue to work on home networks with limited security.

The immediate future might look bleak, but by putting cyber-security at the top of your agenda, your business will be able to maintain business continuity and avoid attacks.