{"id":4692,"date":"2021-09-27T07:28:33","date_gmt":"2021-09-27T12:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/?p=4692"},"modified":"2021-09-24T16:52:08","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T21:52:08","slug":"top-5-hybrid-office-security-concerns-and-how-to-address-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/top-5-hybrid-office-security-concerns-and-how-to-address-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Hybrid Office Security Concerns and How to Address Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ANearly two years after working from home became the \u201cnew normal\u201d in some industries, many companies have scrapped the idea of returning to the office full-time and instead have embraced a mix of on-site and remote work. This is evidenced by Microsoft\u2019s recent introduction of Windows 365<\/a>, a cloud PC solution that the supplier calls \u201ca new computing paradigm for hybrid work\u201d in the Microsoft News Center article \u201cMicrosoft unveils Windows 365 \u2014 ushering in a new category of computing<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The vast majority of enterprise organizations (81 percent) have at least started adopting a hybrid office strategy<\/a>, according to the Zero Trust Adoption Report<\/a> released by Microsoft in July 2021. While this approach to employment allows for greater flexibility, it also raises some concerns related to cybersecurity.<\/p>\n

More than 900 security decision-makers from the U.S., Japan, Germany, Australia and New Zealand identified the following as some of their most pressing concerns about hybrid workplace models, according to the Zero Trust Adoption Report.<\/p>\n

1. Downloading apps that aren\u2019t secure.<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re worried about staff members downloading unsafe applications, consider conducting employee security awareness training<\/a> that instructs your team not to download apps that your security team hasn\u2019t approved. Additionally, you can require your team members to use company-issued devices and only permit admins to install new applications.<\/p>\n

2. Greater workload for IT support staff.<\/h2>\n

Understandably, IT teams might find themselves overwhelmed as they try to address the support needs of a hybrid workplace while maintaining optimal levels of cybersecurity. For companies that want to avoid overworking their in-house IT staff, co-managed IT services can make everyone\u2019s lives less stressful while still supporting a high level of performance. Learn more from our supplemental IT support page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Higher risk of ransomware attacks.<\/h2>\n

It makes sense that security decision-makers are worried about ransomware<\/a>: These types of cyberattacks are increasingly common, with average weekly ransomware activity in June 2021 reaching levels 10.7 times higher than a year prior, according to the August 2021 Global Threat Landscape Report<\/a> from Fortinet.<\/p>\n

Human error, outdated solutions, poor IT hygiene and misconfigured systems can all open the door to ransomware, according to the MSPinsights article \u201cHow Ransomware Sneaks In<\/a>\u201d from Webroot. If you want to proactively lower your chances of getting infected and ensure the damage is minimal if you are breached, your best bet is to invest in advanced cybersecurity solutions, such as the following:<\/p>\n