With cybersecurity incidents on the rise, CISOs have a lot keeping them up at night these days. Not only does their job description usually call for long hours to ensure the timely, efficient delivery of secure applications and data to stakeholders, the ongoing pressure of an evolving threat landscape can lead to near-constant stress, and even the fear of getting fired according to a recent survey, which can impact both their mental and physical health.

Additionally, there are other outside factors compounding the situation including the complexity associated with juggling the increasing number of endpoint device types (i.e. smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops) and operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OS, iOS and Android), that have emerged as a result of the migration to remote and hybrid work scenarios, driven by the global pandemic.

Remote and Hybrid Work Scenarios Are the Wave of the Future, Despite Persistent Threats

According to a recent report by Everest Group, most of the large enterprises surveyed believe that by the end of this year, the majority of employees won’t be working from traditional, physical office spaces. Furthermore, outsourcing is on the rise, and according to Upwork’s seventh annual study, “Freelance Forward: 2020,” 36% of the workforce in 2020 was freelance, representing an increase of two million freelancers since 2019. Clearly, the global pandemic has impacted the composition of today’s workforce.

These and other trends are getting the attention of the C-suite, and according to Gartner’s 2020 Digital Workplace Study, more top executives than ever are considering investing in digital solutions such as meeting software, enterprise chat, and desktop-as-a-service (DaaS).

However, from an IT perspective, remote teams are notoriously more difficult to keep locked down than on-site teams. CISOs must be wary of potential risks, including that of data breaches and non-compliance with increasingly strict regulations and compliance standards such as 23 NYCRR 500, GDPR, SOC 2 Type II, ISO, HIPAA, CCPA and OSFI.

➡️ Download The Ultimate CISO Guide to Scaling a Secure Hybrid Workforce

Securing the Hybrid Workforce with Tehama

So, what does it take to secure a hybrid workforce? CSO Magazine suggests that CISOs and other IT/security stakeholders should, first and foremost, determine the endpoint protection their home users need. CISOs must also consider four key elements when implementing mobile computing and endpoint strategies to support their hybrid and remote workforces:

• Strong identity control
• An impenetrable work environment
• A Zero-Trust network model (ZTNA)
• The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)

By design, Tehama provides organizations with an airlocked work environment while enforcing strong identity control, Zero Trust, and PoLP.

Unlike traditional DaaS solutions, Tehama’s next-generation enterprise DaaS uses an encrypted Tehama Gateway to create secure virtual rooms and desktops on the cloud that connect remote workers to corporate and cloud systems, combined with various controls and capabilities required to onboard, scale, secure, and audit a hybrid workforce. With Tehama, data is only delivered to the endpoint through pixels and audio, meaning that important data and other IP can’t be downloaded to the local device.

Tehama also virtually mimics the physical security posture of your organization’s brick-and-mortar office. This includes secure perimeters (similar to the solid walls of a physical office), session recordings and activity streams (similar to CCTV cameras that populate most modern office buildings), and credentials management (just like key fob or badge systems at your office door – only better).

Why Other Hybrid Workforce Solutions Often Fall Short of Meeting the CISO’s Requirements

Outside of DaaS solutions, CISOs have several other options, but these solutions often don’t provide what is really needed to enable and secure hybrid workforces.

• Managed laptops. Buying and managing a fleet of new laptops can be expensive – but the worst part is that once they’ve been procured, IT teams must start planning for their eventual replacement. They’re also notoriously insecure: Security Boulevard says a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds. Laptops are also vulnerable to sloppy internet habits and the careless use of USB keys.
• Virtual private networks (VPNs). The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has published warnings about enterprise VPNs, showing vulnerabilities can occur even within enterprise level devices. VPNs are also relatively costly, hard to patch, and allow east-west network access with zero visibility on behalf of the organization.
• Traditional VDI/DaaS. While they can be effective, traditional VDI and DaaS solutions require expensive technology stacking to remain secure and compliant as none of these solutions come with built-in MFA, anti-virus or anti-malware tools, firewalls, compliance mechanisms, or secure channels, out-of-the-box.

Secure, Scalable and Sustainable: Tehama Next-Generation DaaS

There is no doubt about the fact that the marketplace is quickly evolving, and that organizations are leaning on an increasingly global talent  pool to meet their business objectives. Tehama’s cloud-based DaaS platform enables these organizations to seamlessly deploy virtual work environments within minutes, instead of months. And with built-in firewalls and multi-factor authentication, Tehama ensures fully secure information-sharing and digital collaboration within the organization.

Connect with us today to book a demo and discover the benefits of enabling a secure, sustainable remote workforce quickly and easily with Tehama.