Threats at the Kitchen Table: Balancing Cybersecurity & Usability In A Remote Workforce

The tightrope between security and usability is not a new issue, but the last few months have seen it propelled firmly to the fore. When the corporate world was forced out of offices and into kitchens, studies, bedrooms and sheds, businesses were suddenly peering under every rug for the remote working policies and plans they were supposed to have made. Now, as we begin to ride the second wave of you know what, it’s clear that balancing remote working and cybersecurity is a perennial issue – and it’s here to stay.

In Immersive Labs’ latest Crisis Simulation, your organization faces an imminent switch to 100% remote working – and it’s up to you to make it happen. As Head of IT for a wealth management consultancy firm, you have to balance the cybersecurity needs of the business with operations and efficiency, all while preparing a workforce that has never worked remotely to make the switch. Join Chris Pace, Tech Advocate, and Paul Bentham, Chief Product Officer, as they navigate the balancing act that businesses around the world are now facing.

For many, the slew of national lockdown announcements heralded a trial by fire. IT Support teams scrambled to make sure everyone had the technology and equipment they needed. Office workers realized their kids’ complaints about their rubbish broadband were justified. New, unfamiliar tools were put into place for every team and Zoom became a household name overnight. And it’s still not over. While the world is tentatively opening its doors again, governments and organizations are ready to slam them shut at any moment. Short term fixes are now facing the test of time as, for the second time this year, offices are emptying.

In this webinar, we look at turning those scrambled, short term band-aids into long term solutions. When your IT estate is scattered across the world on kitchen tables and sofas, how do you make sure it’s safe and secure? When team members can’t pop down to IT with a concern about a link they clicked, how do you encourage best in class security practices? When most of your workforce have never worked remotely before, how do you balance business productivity with cybersecurity?

As this scenario unfolds, you’ll get to have your say on what the team should do to prepare. You’ll see the impact of your decisions in real time on factors like operational effectiveness, security and communications quality. You’ll emerge from the scenario equipped with:

• An understanding of the potential challenges facing businesses and security teams
• The inherent risks in getting the balance wrong
• The importance of communication in the new remote working normal