March 2, 2022

Hackers Continue to Target Remote Networks

Entering our third year of COVID continues to change the workforce dynamic. Many companies planning to return to the office are invoking a hybrid model. Some workers come into the office part-time, and others continue to work remotely indefinitely. Remote work has made it easier for bad actors to exploit unsecured networks. From The Guardian, “The transition that we’re seeing to working from home has contributed dramatically to the rise in successful ransomware attacks,” said Israel Barak, the Chief Information Security Officer at the security firm Cybereason. “There are a lot more open doors to access networks now that employees are working remotely.” Furthermore, Per Gartner, “2021 saw the highest average breach cost in 17 years, and 10% of breaches involved ransomware – doubling last year’s frequency”. As your workers continue to work remotely or in a hybrid model of remote and on-site, cybersecurity protection is more critical than ever.

Additional IT Challenges in Supporting the Remote Workforce

Unreliable Connectivity

In addition to cybersecurity, unreliable connectivity is another issue facing remote workers. Poor or inconsistent internet connection negatively impacts employee productivity. How often are employees in a remote meeting and one or more drop during the session due to a poor connection? It not only affects the employee’s productivity but the whole team.

Increased IoT Devices

According to recent research, the number of IoT devices will reach 83 billion by 2024, up from 35 billion in 2020. The rising number of IoT and BYO devices connected to corporate networks adds significant weight to the IT teams’ workloads.

We Have the Solution You Need

Combining expertise in security and connectivity, Fortinet and Linksys have partnered to deliver a new enterprise networking solution called HomeWRK for business. HomeWRK enables organizations to improve productivity, optimize user experience, and maintain enterprise-grade security for employees working from home. HomeWRK is a new remote worker solution providing secure network connectivity with simplicity, quality, and affordability. Benefits include:

• Out-of-box secure network enterprise solution covering both corporate and home networks
• Seamless roaming, so there is no need to switch from one network to the other
• No competing networks, integrated system to meet both corporate and personal needs
• Easy setup and management providing your employees with simple plug and connect hardware and your ability to monitor activities for easy diagnosis and fast troubleshooting
• Prioritization of bandwidth for corporate applications improving employee productivity and collaboration
• Scaleability to add more users as your business grows

Interested in HomeWRK?

To find out more about HomeWRK and how it can help protect your business, contact the experts at Dewpoint. We are a Fortinet partner who can walk you through the benefits and costs and determine if HomeWRK is right for your business.