The post-pandemic “new Normal” impacts all aspects of our lives, including the job site. Even when COVID was at its peak, collaboration among staff members scattered across the country and around the world happened thanks to adaptations in organizational technology and infrastructure made on the fly.
Although infection rates are declining as the number of vaccinated Americans rises, few businesses intend to return to their pre-virus methods of operation fully. Even when some or all staff members return to full- or part-time stints in the office, they will keep on using communication tools such as email to communicate and collaborate. If cutting-edge security procedures are not adopted and maintained, organizations will fall prey to devastating security breaches.
Cybercriminals are constantly on the prowl to exploit businesses when they are at their most vulnerable. This transition period, when staff may be confused about schedules and protocols and are toggling between home and office, may leave companies particularly susceptible to phishing schemes and other attack methods.
Consequently, network security and vulnerability scanning are even more critical now than ever. Protect your organization by investing time and financial resources into shielding your networks and auditing your controls and procedures.
Furthermore, take steps to ensure that your staff is threat-aware. Understanding that organizational security is a responsibility shared among everyone on the team is one of the best ways to foil attacks before they happen.
To that end, encourage employees to adopt a healthy skepticism of all emails. Emphasize the importance of not clicking on links, opening attachments, or forwarding messages from suspicious senders. Train everyone to use your anti-phishing filter and anti-virus software, and encourage staff to report any concerns immediately to your IT team.