Jack Dorsey (CEO of Twitter and Square), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) and other CEOs are continuing to encourage remote work, and only a quarter of employees, says a recent Gallup poll, feel emotionally ready to head back to the office. Indeed, various surveys show that the future of work is likely to look very different in the post-COVID world, with many companies pleased by the idea of being able to make significant cost savings without losing out on the efficiency. One area that could be impacted in a negative way, however, is employee-IT communications. IT services are more important than ever, but how can the dynamics between IT departments and remote teams be preserved?
Remote Work is a Long-Term Phenomenon
Research company Gartner recently conducted a study, finding that 82% of businesses plan to allow employees to work from home at least some of the time, even when the current health crisis is over. In the study, leaders mentioned their greatest concerns about distance working. These include cohesion, maintaining the corporate culture, and creating parity between remote and in-office experiences. IT services are also more difficult to coordinate with remote crews, potentially leaving a company vulnerable to security breaches. As stated by Taylored Systems, the advancement of remote working teams enables services such as cybersecurity, cloud management, and the adoption of a range of IT hardware and software that can enable teams to work smoothly, stick to deadlines, and achieve ultimate goals.
Explaining the Importance of IT Support to Staff
Staff should be fully aware of the importance of allowing IT support teams to access users’ workstations so that issues can be resolved as though they were within the worker’s home office. In essence, any equipment used by remote staff should ideally be either loaned by the company or used exclusively for work purposes, to breach the divide between personal privacy and the need for IT services to access work systems fully. Workers should also be prepared to attend to IT staff in person when necessary, when maintenance work is required on hardware. Companies can set up a provider network that can supply all visitation needs to employees within an area, region, or state.
Setting Up Cybersecurity Protocols
Around 85% of CISOs revealed that they had sacrificed cybersecurity to speedily set up remote workspaces for their employees – as reported by Netwrix. The results were swift and palpable. Around 25% suffered a ransomware or other malware attack during the first three months of C19 and around 14% reported data theft by employees. Most supply chain compromises, meanwhile, required days, weeks, or months to flag.
Suggested Reading: Ransomware and Viruses: Top differences you should know
The results of the survey show that while it is logical that companies should have initially prioritized service, security is equally important. Companies who have made the switch to a remote working model should ensure that anti-virus software and firewalls are used as indicated by the company. There are many ways that IT services can help ensure there are no flaws in the system -including via simulation of cyber attacks, to see if employees know the appropriate steps to take.
Remote work is here to stay, with the vast majority of organizations saying they will now permit employees to work from home at least some of the time. There are concerns about making the switch, of course, and one of these involves IT services. Companies can stay at the top of their game by promoting awareness among workers of the need for IT maintenance. They can also educate them on appropriate ways to respond to cyber threats, and ensure that staff has all the protective software they require to keep cyber criminals far from sensitive data.
Good Explanation!