The end of the beginning: remote working essentials

Security, remote tech support, bad Wi-Fi, struggling VPN concentrators, lack of network visibility and capacity planning challenges – these are the top remote worker network challenges.Safe and seamless hybrid workingHelping employees work from home and securely access the corporate resources they need is one thing, but do you also have a duty of care to help protect the actual endpoints they’re using? Do they have the proper virus protection, the latest OS version, or correct security standards applied?Hybrid working is the future model for many organisations and this needs genuine flexibility. Hybrid working is about arming staff with the tools to move freely between locations. This means investing in technologies to make the switch between locations seamless.Unified communications is one solution. Whether an employee is working in an office, their bedroom, or a coffee shop, the experience must be consistent and hassle-free, or productivity plummets. This means seamlessly switching from voice and video calling in a single collaboration platform, regardless of what device is used.Another security approach is to focus on identity and access management (IAM) to enable single sign-on and smart identity management. Security around the users’ identities and other key dynamic factors such as location, time of day, type of device, security patch levels on the device, not only provides the best level of protection but it supports the previous point, reducing barriers for access to the corporate network. What you’re aiming for is a frictionless and secure connection, regardless of location or device.Policing via policyBest practice includes the use of zero-trust network access, remote browser isolation, DLP (data loss prevention) policies while accessing cloud and SaaS applications, as well as enforcement of AU (Acceptable Usage) policies. This is regardless of the physical location of the worker, the device used, or if they are using a virtual or native desktop environment. But we all know that maintaining security policy and providing contextual access can be challenging.Who’s using what?Unless they have an IT-approved PC, personal devices are not secured, protected, or configured to corporate network security standards. One-in-three respondents in a Kaspersky report admitted to visiting adult websites on personal computers they use for work. Criminals commonly use pornographic websites and pop-ups as a hook to seduce victims, then steal bank card details or trick the victim into installing malware. So it’s important to restrict the use of USB device connections and Bluetooth access.If you do not have the technology to granulary control policy and contextual-based access, then use an endpoint device that is specifically configured to work with sensitive company data, especially in multi-party home networks. Boot from a trusted USB client – or invest a little and deliver a cheap Chromebook.Look to deploy device management solutions such as mobile device management (MDM). From a centrally-managed MDM platform you can see and manage remote devices, create a secure location – a container – on end user devices for the safe deployment of business apps, offer an app portal for allowed native and cloud based apps, including secure and encrypted file storage.The Apps have itVirtual apps and desktops allow network admins to enforce policies so that when users connect to sessions, their endpoint has anti-screencapture-grabbing and anti-keylogging protection.TrainingWorking from home, employees cannot always rely on corporate security and prompt assistance from IT. They need up-to-date, applicable knowledge about cyberthreats and how to stay safe. A handful of seminars will not do.Sensitive dataJust because employees can doesn’t mean they should download sensitive data to their device. If this data really needs to be mobilised for offline access, ensure it is located in an enterprise-managed and encrypted container, use of a dynamic secure remote access platforms/app or desktop virtualisation that offers containerisation, or blocking of document access or specific content.Secure web browsers, OS and passwordsThe browser is the focal point of modern computing, providing access to almost everything we use throughout the day. The problem is, the browser has access to almost everything that malicious code desires: sensitive data in applications, networks, files and file systems, certificates and passwords. Passwords and authenticationWe are still seeing lax care around passwords. Enforce the use of passcodes and multi factor authentication on devices, that help to enforce minimum length of passwords, expiration/renewal dates, and maximum failed sign-on attempts.It's a matter of privilege for accessTo protect sensitive operations you need to identify when someone is doing something unexpected. People need different access at different times and the requirement is to measure the risk associated with that access and put in mitigations to reduce risk. Focussing on the user’s credentials is not enough. You need to look at the wider context of the activity. You need to reduce the number of users with highly privileged directory access. Users should have least privileged access (including administrators) with time-limit logout, only allowing access based on risk-accessed granular policies around things such as the users location, time of day, type of device, security-patch levels and more. Zero-trust and least privilege access wherever possible.Wi-FiIf you have a newer home wireless router, you can enable Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) security that features a more secure handshake for WPA3 to protect against dictionary and brute force attacks. WPA3 also uses longer session key sizes (128-bit for WPA3-Personal and 192-bit for WPA3-Enterprise) and provides protection from the KRACK and Kr00k exploits that plagued the WPA-2 protocol.Backup, backup, backupBackup to a secure drive at home/office and to a secure cloud location, in the event your company or you become compromised and local files are lost, destroyed, you are more likely to have a back-up of necessary documentation.Email scams and your email securityEmails are the easiest means of communication to exploit and compromise. We’ve seen an increase in phishing attacks. The UK’s National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC) has made numerous recommendations for helping protect staff while working from home, including the use of emails. As well as calling attention to phishing scams which are becoming more prevalent, they advise the following measures for protecting email accounts. Beware of phishing attacks which appear to be taking an ever-growing number of forms:EncryptionStaff are more likely to have their devices stolen (or lose them) when they are away from the office or home. Ensure their devices encrypt data while at rest. Most modern devices have encryption built-in, but encryption may still need to be turned on and configured.Zero-trust remedyIn this new reality, security architectures need to adjust, with a zero-trust model now seen as essential by security experts. This can help reduce the responsibility on individual employees or administration pressures on already busy IT admin teams, with a dynamic access management solution and auditing at its heart. Organisations need to strongly consider a zero-trust approach to security, which can ensure damage is limited even in the case that privileged accounts are compromised.

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The end of the beginning: remote working essentials

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The end of the beginning: remote working essentials

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