In much the same way that the world is racing to develop a vaccine, so too is the business world racing to achieve cyber security against the pandemic. A recent study by Microsoft reports that in the first two months of COVID alone, a full two years’ worth of digital transformation took place.
Why this huge leap forward? Because businesses the world over realised that cyber security is the key to productive remote working. And without it, nothing works.
Security the way it was
Up until Covid hit, many SMEs relied heavily on a ‘trust’ model of working, with company-managed hardware, a reliance on office-held assets, and only limited remote access to business-critical apps. This model failed fast in the new normal of pandemic working, with the number one weak point being simple username and password authentication. Not rocket science. It was time for change. And change is happening in four key areas:
Security as a cornerstone for contentment
Instead of offering a limited and ‘locked down’ portfolio of tools to remote staff, it has become clear very quickly that people need to access a wide range of tools in order to work collaboratively, sustainably, and happily. Extending security throughout a diverse toolset offers staff the confidence and agility to work from home and be content to do so.
Zero trust is the ultimate assurance
This security concept is the belief that organisations shouldn’t automatically trust anything inside or outside its perimeters. Instead, they must verify anything trying to connect to their systems before granting access. Though it sounds counter-intuitive, the ‘zero-trust’ model instils both confidence and security. And Covid has spurred even reluctant latecomers to join the zero-trust journey.
Business continuity reliance on cyber resilience
It’s no surprise that cyber resilience protects business continuity. Whether that is the underpinning of effective remote working, or protection against ‘show-stopping’ attack, the results are the same. The cyber-resilient company is the one that survives, and can also endure the ‘lockdown hokey-cokey’ we’ve described elsewhere. (Add link to ‘we’ve described elsewhere’: https://blog.iscompliant.com/trading-in-a-pandemic-welcome-to-the-lockdown-hokey-cokey/)
The cloud’s vital role in company security
Those companies who have adopted cloud-based working models are more able to prepare for a wide range or risk scenarios and contingencies. And, in addition, they are more likely than their on-premises counterparts to actively make such preparations.
What this means for QEM, and for your business too
QEM adopted a cloud-based working model many moons ago, which means we’ve been agile enough to switch to remote working pretty easily. But here’s what we’re doing now, to ensure our continued prosperity:
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We use isCompliant, a cloud-based business management system that enables remote access for all staff wherever they are, and embeds cyber security into every working day.
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With isCompliant, we secure certification in ISO 27001 and other key business standards, further protecting our business, both in security terms and in contracting markets.
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We’re also hiring new security talent, with a dedicated team member coming on board soon, who’ll navigate us through the cyber-security landscape as it evolves throughout the pandemic.
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We’re listening to our people – understanding how they like to work remotely, and underpinning these models with security throughout.
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