Intelligent CISO Issue 17 | Page 62

IS THE OFFICE DEAD? SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE MODERN WORKFORCE With more people now choosing to work remotely, many global enterprises are splitting up their workforce between multiple locations, often in different countries. However, this new way of working poses problems for security teams, as they try to ensure employees logging in remotely are doing so securely. Stuart Sharp, VP of solution engineering, OneLogin, tells us how security departments can easily manage multiple access points and levels of access for companies with remote workforces. A ccording to the Office of National Statistics, 50% of the UK workforce is expected to be working remotely by 2020. Many organisations have been taking steps in this direction for many years and the increased uptake of ‘working from home policies’ is all but to be expected with the advancements in technology and the flexible requirements of the modern workforce. In light of this, many are asking the question, how useful is the traditional office space? Nowadays, it is common for global enterprises to split up their workforces between multiple locations, often in 62 Stuart Sharp, VP of solution engineering, OneLogin different countries and, sometimes, not in an office at all. The number of employees who work from home routinely as part of their job has increased dramatically over the past few years. Many organisations offer incentives to employees such as ‘work from home Fridays’, with the aim of increasing morale and staff retention rates. According to recent research on the distributed, diverse workforce of the future, 97% of CIOs said that they expect their workplaces to be widely dispersed across geographies and time zones, with part-time employees, contractors and contingent workers playing a bigger role in businesses. Today, more than 77 million millennials are active members of the workforce. This sizable group represents an enormous proportion of the working population – and they are increasingly unwilling to take a technological step back when entering the workplace. Colloquially referred to as ‘the generation that grew up shopping on Amazon. co.uk’, these employees expect a mobile- first work environment, are fuelling the freelance economy and will change employers every 16 months on average. In light of the skills shortage, organisations need to work harder than ever to close the gap; and implementing flexible working policies is one way to get ahead of the game. Many organisations have already implemented remote working policies with Issue 17 | www.intelligentciso.com