“How much longer?”, is the question everyone is sighing. The current answer is “no time soon, at least not in 2020, nor the first quarter of 2021.” So, for the majority of small to medium-sized businesses as we move indoors, it means supporting employees working from home, at least part of the time.

As it turns out, some employees are more productive working from home while others need to come into an office. As a result, businesses are seeing the benefits of a hybrid situation for working remotely. A hybrid work force enables both office and home employees to work together, regardless of their location.

Therefore, business owners need to prepare for the following IT risks to sustain a remote or hybrid workforce in 2021 and possibly, beyond:

• Security – More intense cyberattacks and phishing scams await us in 2021. Consequently, security plans and policies must include directives on the Physical, Cyber, and Home protection of every electronic device. First, physical security accounts for whereabouts of employee work and BYOD devices, where they are housed, and who has access to them. For example, they should not be left unattended in a car or coffee shop and should not be used by other family members. Next, cybersecurity means keeping every device and employee up to date on security software, malicious emails, and what to do if devices become infected. Then, there is home security which includes making sure home networks are secure, firewalls are enabled, and password protection policies are being maintained.
• Control – This means you know your business is protected, where your home employees actually are, and what they are doing. When staff is office-based, it is easy to see that they are busy just by walking around offices, desks, cubicles, and meeting rooms. It’s not so easy to notice productivity remotely, at least not until deadlines are missed, items are falling through the cracks and certain employees are unresponsive. Fortunately, there is a two-fold solution: First, company policies on remote work need to be created and circulated. Second, security software, GPS tracking software, and automated activity tracking can be required for every device.
• Support – At some point or another, all employees are going to need help with their devices, connections, or some other IT situation. They will also need help maintaining company policies and implementing security measures in the home and on every device. Fortunately, there are technologies available to make remote support possible. For example, through remote support software IT professionals can gain access to devices so they can resolve any issues, anywhere, anytime. Preferably, business owners should outsource to a managed service provider that has a focus on providing layered security. In addition to remote support, a managed IT services provider maintains constant monitoring, security updates, awareness of phishing scams, removal of malicious items, among many other IT services.

As we advance into 2021, our team of experienced IT experts at Concensus is here to be your trusted partner and protector. Contact us, today.