Hybrid Work & Security Over Trust

Location has always been a critical element in the real estate business.  The same shouldn’t be said about corporate digital security. This is mainly because the workplace is beyond traditional “brick-and-mortar”, empowering staff to work from a plethora of locations. This doesn’t bode well with corporate cybersecurity services.

The conventional digital / technological infrastructure expects individuals to be an office, connecting to on-premises, data centre resources. With the rise of hybrid workforces in lieu of the pandemic, these assumptions are no longer accurate.

Historically, data security systems required a remote users to connect to their network through managed firewalls, which established the boundaries limits of each users capability. Those boundaries can no longer be defined as in-office.

Internet & data security which relies significantly on physical locations of personnel is no longer effective. So how can you make sure your workforce maintains productivity, while security is maintained?

The answer is a zero-trust policy.

Sounds aggressive—we understand. But in the realm of cybersecurity support, it’s not a new theory. It’s actually establishing more clout as hybrid work environments look to migrate beyond traditional brick-and-mortar security, to something more cloud-based.

Why Zero Trust?

Zero trust assumes there isn’t any trust granted to digital assets, or accounts based on physical and network proximity, OR based on corporate ownership. This works well for hybrid workforces in a corporate setting.  For the majority of corporations, top security priorities moving into the new year include administering security for remote workforces, and warming up to the concept of zero trust frameworks.

A great example would be the United States Government. They’ve recently issued a mandate requiring federal-level agencies to enforce zero-security goals before 2025.

Transitioning To Cloud Cybersecurity

Firstly, this creates huge redundancies for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The core function of a VPN is is to travel through a form of digital “tunnel”, allowing you to safely commute from one side of the internet to the other; where the data resides.

Why would preparing for a zero trust infrastructure hinder the use of VPN? Because it assumes that there is nowhere safe. That things like ransomware risks are everywhere, and preventative measures should be taken. And thus, all attempts to establish a connection must be verified.

An example in motion:

If you walked into your office and logged in, you would be verified as a reputable user—This is the traditional model. Imagine connecting a USB Memory Stick into your computer, and your connection being severed. That’s zero trust.

A constant screening and security process which computes several variables like user authentication, location, date & time, and devices, all real-time, is the future of ensuring your assets are protected at all times.