The best way to set up a secure remote working solution
The coronavirus pandemic has shifted the traditional working environment, forcing many companies to have their employees work from home.
Although in certain instances remote working may be beneficial to employee morale, it also adds a host of challenges.
While some may find it pleasant to be able to work from their couch, bed or home, the inadvertent effect of this comfort is the possibility of increased complacency when it comes to company policies.
This could be detrimental to key operations in a business – one of which is security.
Sizwe Africa IT Group is a South African-based company which offers software solutions which include security products that cater specifically for this purpose.
Executive for Unified Network Solutions at Sizwe Africa IT Group, Itumeleng Mochocho, explained how Sizwe’s offering is ideal for a secure remote working setup during the current challenges and managing future virtual teams.
“Sizwe has strategic partners that ensure we provide the best solutions to our clients based on their specific needs. Sizwe achieved globally recognised certifications for various standards, including ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS),” Mochocho said.
Jonathan Young, who runs Consulting and Professional Services at Sizwe partner NIL Data South Africa, provided insights into how cyber attackers are targeting remote workers, and explicated a leading solution from Sizwe Africa IT Group that businesses can consider.
The dangers
Young said that the shift in the geographical concentration of workforces from offices to homes has been noted by malicious actors.
“The attack surface has moved from the corporate network to home or public network” Young explained.
Although attackers have not adjusted much in terms of the nature of their attacks – with malware, ransomware and phishing being their chosen tools of trade – the increase in vulnerable computers have made reaching their objectives easier.
In certain instances, companies with proper planning are able to provide corporate laptops with the necessary full protection already loaded.
However, in other cases employees may have been provided with machines in a rush. These computers may not be running the necessary security software for safe operation out of office.
Alternatively, workers have turned to using a home machine for work without the necessary corporate protection, which exponentially increases the risk of data breach.
“Corporate data, people’s personal data, and customers’ personal data, which should be protected, is at a higher risk,” Young said.
Sizwe’s remote working package offer
To meet this challenge, Cisco, a global leader in providing networking solutions for the Internet, has launched an offer on software dedicated to protecting remote working machines.
“Cisco have issued to the world a most amazing offer during lockdown and these challenging times to help with this key problem – which is unprotected remote workers,” Young stated.
Cisco Secure Remote Worker Offer features a range of products that are tailored to roaming devices.
One of these products is Cisco Umbrella, which secures direct Internet access at cloud scale.
The service protects users with DNS-layer security, which uses the Internet’s infrastructure to block malicious and unwanted domains, IP addresses, and cloud applications.
Monitoring and tracking
As Cisco Gold Partner, Sizwe Africa IT Group possesses the required in-house IT skills to implement Cisco’s Secure Remote Worker Offer to effectively protect systems used for remote work.
Young explained that while Cisco’s offer effectively provides users with a free 2-months proof-of-value, Sizwe’s managed services will add further value.
Customers who take up this solution through Sizwe will benefit from a free monitoring and reporting service until the 1st of July, during which the company will showcase its threat-hunting capability.
Looking to get started right away? Let a Sizwe security specialist set you up with the CISCO Secure Remote Worker Offer today!
- Contact: Morne Terblanche
- Email: [email protected]
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