Three in four organizations are using a hybrid work model. Employers and employees feel this is the best path moving forward, according to recently released data. However, only roughly one in five companies (21 percent) are confident their infrastructure security can support long-term remote work.
The survey of 200 North American business leaders, conducted by the research firm Pulse on behalf of Sungard Availability Services, found roughly 89 percent believe a mix of remote and in-office working is the ideal work situation.
Around three-quarters of organizations (74 percent) took input from company leaders and employees into account when making decisions on working models.
“As organizations plan to keep hybrid work in place full time, they need to properly support it, which may require adjustments to their technologies or security policies,” said Shawn Burke, Global Chief Security Officer at Sungard AS. “Now is the time to modernize your infrastructure and secure your environment to support a long-term remote workforce. Multi-factor authentication shouldn’t be optional and advanced cybersecurity training is now table stakes. As flexible working environments appear to be the new normal, be sure your infrastructure is built to keep it running effectively and safely.”
Although less than one in 10 (7.5 percent) are confident their security protections against phishing and ransomware attacks are adequate in a largely virtual environment, most respondents agree good security is a must-have for employees to be successful when working from home.
Security software that keeps work devices secure (79 percent), an easy-to-use system that enables employees to share files securely (76 percent), IT support that specializes in supporting remote workers (71.5 percent), and high-speed internet connection (60 percent) are considered essential items for remote employees.
Businesses still have more work to do to build a more resilient and sustainable remote working environment. The data shows that 43 percent of business leaders feel they need to provide employees with improved or more technology to support a successful remote working environment. Almost every organization (97 percent) noted plans to adjust their business continuity plans to account for a more permanent remote working environment.
