Hybrid Work Means Increased Focus on Endpoint Security

Endpoint security has never been more important for many businesses, especially as remote work becomes more common. Employees now work from so many different locations and on so many different devices that it would be practically impossible for any single IT team to verify that they will access them using VPNs or other security measures.

According to a 2021 HP survey, “HP Wolf Security Blurred Lines and Blindspots” working remotely during the pandemic has blurred the lines between personal and professional lives for 76% of office employees. In fact, 30% acknowledged letting someone other than themselves use their work laptops on a daily basis. Even more surprising is the fact that nearly half of employees regard their work computers as personal gadgets.

With remote and hybrid work obviously part of the collective new normal, it’s time for businesses to take network security seriously. While many people are required to grant remote access to networks and servers, they do not have to hand over the keys and leave. If an organization can force devices connecting to its network to follow particular security standards, whether it’s an employee device or a customer-facing device, it can provide protection from potential cyber-attacks.

Also Read: Top 4 Cybersecurity Myths That Should Be Put to Rest

Cyber-attacks pose a significant threat to businesses of all sizes, both in terms of reputation and customer trust, as well as the costs of repairing a cybersecurity breach. So let’s have a look at some protection strategies for businesses.

Endpoint Security is an important component of cloud-based security and SASE architecture

As endpoint security evolves, security gaps across endpoints, cloud, and on-premise leave businesses vulnerable to hackers looking to exploit any security flaw. The SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) architecture is being developed to assign network controls on the cloud edge, allowing companies to move away from data center-centric security and align security closer to service activity and access, including endpoints, to address these emerging security challenges. SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network), secure web gateway, firewall as a service, zero-trust network access capabilities, and cloud security broker, are among the functions that have been consolidated into a single, integrated cloud service.

Also Read: Leveraging TPRM to Increase Visibility into Third-Party Risks

Endpoint security: Maintaining network security

The harsh reality is that hackers are not just astute, they also recognize that there is relatively easy money to be made in the cyber-attack business, and they aren’t wasting time taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. Endpoint vulnerabilities are a serious threat that needs to be addressed, whether in a hybrid or remote work scenario or in a corporate context.

The distinction between personal and professional life has blurred, and there is no reason to assume that this will change in the future. The future of work is here, and it’s evident that it’ll be a hybrid experience, with employees working from the office part of the time and partly remotely. That is why endpoint security is so critical, and why innovations like SASE, which are being developed in the field, will allow IT professionals to remove the stress and guesswork from monitoring the entire network system—not just the network perimeter, but everything it touches.