Hybrid work is here to stay – but what does that mean for cybersecurity?

It’s a Monday morning and you’re opening up your laptop to start another week of work. Your weekly team meeting pops up on your calendar and you sigh as you set down your cup of coffee to join the conference call. The usual chatter of “How was your weekend?” naturally transitions into the hottest topic at work – “Are you going back to the office?”.

The question of “what’s next?” is a fiery topic for employees and businesses alike. And for every individual or business, the answer will be different. However, whether that answer is remote, in-person, or flex, the overarching and permanent solution for every business is the hybrid workforce.

What is the hybrid workforce?

The hybrid workforce model enables organizations and employees to work from anywhere and everywhere through flexibility and ease. However, unlike the previous transition to remote work, the hybrid model is here to stay. The inclusion of remote work is not only a necessity, but a strategic advantage for both employees and organizations.

With increased flexibility, organizations can save time and money while expanding their business beyond the confines of a physical office. In addition, organizations are able to adapt the new learnings and practices from the remote experience to improve collaboration and inclusivity in the in-person experience. The hybrid work model is already making its mark on the preferences of workers and businesses alike. Cisco’s hybrid workplace survey found that only 9% of employees expect to return to working from the office 100% of the time. Similarly, 58% of workers plan on working 8 or more days each month from home. In turn, 77% of larger organizations plan on increasing their work flexibility, signaling a more permanent transition into the hybrid model.

What does hybrid work mean for security?

However, a hybrid workforce also brings its own challenges. As a result of the hybrid workplace, 69% of leaders stated that ransomware was a greater concern. The FBI reported that the number of cybersecurity attacks rose by 3-4x in 2020 as a result of the rapid transition to remote work. The return back to the office also presents its own problems – 67% of IT leaders expect an increase in phishing emails due to the transition and 54% are worried about their employees bringing infected devices into the workplace. In addition, business travel, flexible working locations, and a broader range of devices contribute to a greater challenge for IT professionals when it comes to managing and securing their hybrid workforce.

You don’t need to compromise your security for more flexibility. No matter what type of workforce model your organization is managing, Cisco Secure Hybrid Work solution is the key to keeping your data secure everywhere while empowering work everywhere.

1. Enable a Zero Trust approach to balance security and usability
2. Verify user identity and device trust with Cisco Secure Access by Duo and AnyConnect VPN
3. Hold the first line of defense with DNS and email protection with Cisco Umbrella and Secure Email
4. Maintain the last line of defense at every endpoint with Cisco Secure Endpoint
5. Accelerate threat investigation and response through the built-in SecureX platform and Talos threat intelligence

You can buy the Secure Hybrid Work solution through Cisco Secure Choice EA – flexibly buy a minimum of two, up to as many as you need. It’s a single agreement with instant savings and free growth allowance.

So “what’s next?” for your organization? Whether your business plans to return to in-person, stay in remote, or something in between, stay ahead of your security game through the Cisco Secure Hybrid Work solution. No more patchwork solutions, no retroactive responses. Make the Secure Hybrid Work solution the center of your “new normal” by unifying and simplifying your security at every line of your defense.

Through Secure Hybrid Work, you can enable security everywhere to empower work anywhere.

To go deeper into the Cisco Secure Hybrid Work solution, check out the eBook.

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