Companies sometimes work with data-sensitive or confidential information, so cyber and physical security concerns are of the utmost importance for an organization that adopted a hybrid work model. Making sure these security strategies are excellent and reliable is also essential to the company.
This article will explore how hybrid workspaces can ensure that their security strategy is reliable and works in the way it should.
Periodically assessing your security reports
The first thing to do to understand your cyber security strategy and how it performs is to assess the reports you receive consistently. This will help keep track of the security in different locations, whether on-site or remote. You will also be able to understand what areas need improvement and what areas work well.
A quick guide on how to perform security assessments:
- Identify threats: Here, you will brainstorm security risks that may affect your hybrid workspace. These threats range from physical security risks, data security risks to people security risks, among others.
Here is an example of some security risks for your hybrid workspace:
- Phishing scams
- Malware attacks
- Unauthorized disclosure of customer or employee data
- Ransomware attacks
- Develop a scoring system: In this step, you will create a scoring sheet or method that will grade your hybrid work security. You will categorize workspace security threats by the likelihood of them happening and the severity of them.
- Perform the assessment: Once you have identified the threats and have put them under their rightful pillars, you can use the scoring system you created to assess the security system.
Monitor and keep track of problems or incidents
As security incidents happen, it is essential not to sweep them under the rug and instead keep track of everything. This way, you will have data on it and figure out how to change it. In addition, if changes are made, you could also understand what has worked or hasn’t worked should the incident happen again.
Every single security risk that arises has the power to impact your business negatively, which is why it’s essential to keep track of everything and understand what to do in every situation. Focusing on qualitative data can have a surprisingly good impact, as you will be able to assess every situation and know how to act should a similar incident arise.
Examples of incidents you can keep track of:
- Break-ins
- Cyberattacks
- Office closures related to health
- Natural or man-made disasters
Collect feedback from your employees
Collaborative team efforts are crucial when it comes to security. As a leader, you may have a specific protocol or even a sense of what some threats may be in mind. Still, your team that works in different departments may also have insightful opinions that can positively impact your security. This will also allow you to receive qualitative data that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to receive. An excellent way to do this is to collect their feedback on security. Make sure you speak to all your employees, including those who are more often in-office or remote.
Some ways you can collect feedback from your team:
Conduct interviews: Here, you can interview all kinds of employees and see how they implement your security strategy. This will give you an opportunity to ask questions that will provide you with insight into your process and any problems your employees may have.
Organize focus groups: In this setting, you will serve as the moderator where you will ask questions, listen, and take notes. It is good to keep focus groups below 10 people to keep track of everything and have a range of employees, including supervisors, managers, or even employees in entry positions to obtain the most insight.
Shadow employees: Here, you will spend some time with a particular employee of your choice to observe their interactions with security systems. This will give you first-hand experience in learning more about your employees’ experiences.
Conclusion
It is vital to make sure that you have a security system in place for your hybrid workplace and understand it and be able to modify it. Security threats are a real issue that happens often, so being on top of them before they get out of hand is a crucial skill that you must learn how to master.