Eight Actions CISOs Should Take Right Now

In my previous blog post, I promised more guidance on the next steps to consider taking now, while the pandemic is still upon us. Here are eight actions CISOs should consider taking.

Given the already-expanded attack surface, in my estimation it is never too early to look at lessons learned from the pandemic—and there certainly isn’t a shortage of teachable moments, right from the top down. Here are eight lessons for Directors of Security and CISOs whose organizations and livelihoods have been imperiled by the pandemic.

When employees were first sent to work from home, organizations scrambled to provide work-from-home software, devices, and infrastructure. As we transition to a new normal, it’s now important to reevaluate the initial infrastructure laid to support remote workers against a lasting, best-practice architecture. In the last entry, I shared the first three pillars for a thriving remote workforce. Let’s now explore the final three pillars.

There is an old saying: “Make your first crisis not be a real one.” Never has that been more apropos than during the past few months, with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown and shelter-in-place restrictions that most Americans have lived under. Now, we have lived in crisis situations before, and COVID-19 is not going to be our last or only pandemic, but it has been unique because of its universal impact, with almost no one spared; its duration; and the tidal wave of change it has brought about in the way we conduct work, socialize, access information, participate in the political process, and protect ourselves both physically and virtually.

Operating a remote workforce is no longer just a remote possibility. A work-from-home war is being quietly waged across many organizations throughout the country, as workers who were forced to quickly establish home office environments now wish to remain in their home rather than return to commuting to an office. This tipping point has deep and wide ramifications for organizations attempting to return to pre-COVID-19 productivity levels. 

By now, you are in the midst of working from home and trying to define what the “new normal” looks like for you and your family. Reflecting on what that has looked like for me over the course of the past month, I noticed some details that raised my level of concern.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to compel people to work from home, countless companies are now holding daily meetings using web, audio, and video conferencing services from a variety of well-known providers. Though not the sole focus of our attention here, one that has received a significant amount of press is Zoom.

As the “temporary” new normal sets in, some of our traditional methods of connecting users to resources have changed. Here are some ways that networks can adapt to best serve predominately remote workforces.