The move to hybrid work environments during COVID came with mounting cyber risks, spread out over the main office and numerous remote offices. The FBI has seen a dramatic uptick in reports of cybercrimes during the pandemic. And hackers will surely turn their attention to the vulnerabilities of businesses.
That means cybersecurity must be considered first and foremost. Firms should, for example, budget for real-time threat monitoring on all devices used in and out of the office. Remote workers must be required to update software applications on a timely basis (including non-work apps used on the same device as work apps).
Firms that already employ two-factor authentication for network and system access may want to adopt three-factor authentication. This can incorporate face, voice or fingerprint recognition. And employees at all levels should receive ongoing training on identifying and avoiding phishing schemes, which exploded as remote work became more common.