Canadian HR Reporter

Credit: SFIO CRACHO/SunnySideUp (Shutterstock) By Michael Murphy T hroughout the summer, compa- nies likely saw an increase in the number of employees who chose to capitalize on the freedom to work re- motely. Summer often means more fl ex- ible schedules — from working on a patio to working in-between errands or check- ing in with the offi ce from the cottage. More employees are requesting fl exible work policies to enhance productivity and work-life balance. Companies, recognizing those same benefi ts, are granting them just that. While new apps and devices off er ben- efi ts for the employer and employee in the realm of remote work, companies must ensure their corporate culture, policies and technology evolve equally as fast to address and overcome modern challenges. Both fl exible work and security have become drivers of business value, and companies that thrive in both areas will become the true leaders of the mobile movement. Growth of remote work Almost one-quarter of global executives said that at least 20 per cent of their work- force is remote most of the time. Another 70 per cent said a similar number of em- ployees are remote at least some of the time, according to the 2017 study Building the Digital Workplace conducted by Oxford Research for Citrix. In fact, 48 per cent of executives said they let employees choose their hours, as long as the job gets fi nished. The new era of digital workspaces is changing the dimensions of how and where work is done. With less structure and more technology at their fi ngertips, employees can tackle their work in modern ways, through less formal work schedules, infor- mal offi ce layouts optimized for on-the-go workers, and options to work outside the offi ce altogether. It's clear that work is no longer con- strained by physical locations, and everyday life is no longer limited to the rigid nine-to- fi ve schedule. With digital workspaces, companies can widen the pool of available workers from diff erent geographies or other limitations, and attract top talent by off ering fl exible policies employees crave. In fact, digital work helps employees to solve problems more creatively, provide better customer service, and collaborate more eff ectively, found the Oxford survey. Security concerns However, security is a top barrier for busi- ness leaders when it comes to fully adopting less traditional working styles. In Canada, many companies see security as the main reason for keeping employees in the offi ce, along with the cost of technology and man- agement culture. And how can you blame them? With global cyberattacks constantly in the head- lines, breaches and hacks are a reality of today's digital landscape. Letting employ- ees access data from outside a work server, allowing them to use personal devices for work or share fi les between diff erent hard- ware can seem like just another headache for the IT department. Moving to digital work, without having proper protections to support the transition, can indeed put companies at risk. Contingent employment can add another challenge to corporate security. Contract, freelance or project-based employees can pose a risk if they bring their own devices, or have inadequate training on the security systems of the company. And if not given full access to company fi les, they can open servers up to a threat by accessing their own unsecured data. Building the Digital Work- place found that only 28 per cent of those surveyed provide training on technology to contract workers. e good news is that when it comes to securing digital workplaces, mitigating the risk of cyberthreats does not mean making policies stricter or pouring more money into the IT budget. Rather, it's about making company culture and policies, education and training, and IT infrastructure more eff ective (rather than more expensive) and better aligned with the dimensions of the modern workplace. Taking a holistic approach For companies that are serious about secu- rity, this can only be done by taking a pro- active, holistic approach to security that engages the IT department, the HR depart- ment and C-suite executives. First, companies must foster a fi rm cor- porate culture around security. is means: updating policies and procedures to secure mobile technology; an overall risk strategy to account for mobile workers and virtual workspaces; and a process for eff ectively managing the use and security of employee- owned devices. Importantly, fostering this culture of "se- curity fi rst" must begin from the top down. C-suite executives must lead by example — whether that's refusing to mix work and personal email, regularly updating pass- words, or attending security seminars and training sessions. With top leaders leading the charge, employees will see security as a company mandate where all are account- able, rather than something owned by one department. Second, companies must off er adequate training and education about security in the workplace. While it's often thought compa- nies' biggest enemies are malware or hack- ing, it is human error that continues to be a main factor in cyberbreaches. And through threats such as such as social engineering, phishing and spear-phishing, the human factor has an important role when it comes to protecting company data. With remote workers, it may be easy to loosen up on security practices with an "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" mentality. But a corporate culture with an embedded se- curity element, supported by a communica- tion plan — where employees are updated on security protocol and educated about the sensitivity of corporate intellectual property and security best practices — will encourage employees to put security fi rst. Lastly, a secure digital workspace needs eff ective technology that minimizes the op- portunity for a breach from the get-go, and allows for speedy resolution in the case of an attack. For example, with desktop vir- tualization, companies host their company apps and data, then provide virtual access to employees regardless of their location or the device they're using. e security benefi ts are two-fold. First, virtualization means companies avoid se- curity threats in case of lost or virus-infect- ed devices as corporate data is stored in a centralized, secure data centre. Second, since all updates are done virtually from the data centre, workers are no longer left with the responsibility of applying security updates and patches on their devices, apps and operating systems. With proper technology, security can lessen the burden on both IT and individual employees. Michael Murphy is a vice-president and country manager at Citrix Canada in Toronto. For more information, visit www.citrix.com. While it's often thought a company's biggest enemies are malware or hacking, it is human error that continues to be a main factor in cyberbreaches. FEATURES CYBERSECURITY Company culture, policies, education, training and IT infrastructure need to be more effective and less expensive

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