As employees are working across two locations, potentially using different devices, there are emerging opportunities for cyber attackers to effectively breach the network, writes Alan Hayward, Sales and Marketing Manager at the networks product company SEH Technology, pictured.

One of the biggest cybersecurity risks of the hybrid working model is unsecured home networks. It’s fair to say that most employees will not understand network security beyond the basics, often requiring an educational process from cybersecurity and IT professionals. Businesses may also see an increase in stolen or lost work devices, with the possibility that equipment is misplaced during daily commutes or from employees’ homes. In addition, IT leaders have witnessed a soar in targeted phishing attacks during the global pandemic, as cybercriminals have been able to take advantage of distracted remote workers.

With this in mind, organisations need to take these considerations into account when deploying their hybrid working model and adjust their cybersecurity strategies accordingly.

Equipping hybrid workers with the right tools

It’s clear that employees need the right tools to be able to effectively manage their workload and responsibilities. As a result, it’s up to the IT leaders and cybersecurity experts within the business to provide them with the right software and hardware devices that they will need. This includes secure cloud storage solutions, collaboration applications, video conferencing software and password managers. Not only do these solutions help improve workers productivity both in the workplace and at home, but they also create safer work with bolstered security measures.

Another vital element to consider is USB dongles that can contain huge amounts of valuable or sensitive data. They can also easily be misplaced and when inserted into an organisation’s IT systems, malware can be introduced. These dongles may be openly shared amongst hybrid workers, making it more difficult to track what they contain, where they’ve been, and who has used them. Dongle servers are a popular choice as they allow USB dongles to become available over a network. This means copy-protected software can be used as normal, but users don’t need to connect the license dongles directly to their client, minimising the risk of data breaches and attacks on the organisation’s network. Read more.