Our strategy to make security productive
The crisis of 2020 that changed the way we work also revealed a number of discoveries both about the potential power of more flexible work and about its risks. Along with increased productivity, greater scalability, and higher worker satisfaction came an array of security issues that accompany cloud-based, remote, and hybrid work.
With the remote age, more of us are sharing sensitive data and information with both internal and external collaborators. Then, primary collaborators may turn around and share work with others, resulting in webs of viral, unsecure collaboration. This spreading of data can create new security challenges that legacy collaboration tools aren’t equipped to handle.Legacy tools aren’t ready for:
- More sensitive data than ever.
- Viral collaboration webs.
- Unlimited user end points.
Facing a multiple-front security situation
When trying to meet the demands of the flexible workplace with the capabilities of legacy systems, organizations find themselves facing risk on multiple fronts:
Sensitive company data stored on local devices increases the risk of data loss. When end users rely on disparate collaboration applications on individual local devices, they open themselves up to not only barriers to seamless collaboration, but to security gaps through which attackers can break in and make off with valuable data.
Keeping up with software and security patches on all devices due to hybrid work, distributed workforces, and temporary workers can overload IT resources. Windows devices and Exchange demand these patches on a regular basis to address evolving security threats.
Significant and expanding malware and ransomware threats. With nearly 50% of email malware delivered by Office attachments, this isn’t just a matter of technology:
- 94% of malware is installed via malicious emails and attachments.
- 80% of hacking breaches involve brute force or the use of lost or stolen credentials.
- 45% of malware is delivered by email containing common Microsoft Office documents.
The mistaken notion that on-prem directories should be granted full trust just because they are local. It’s the opposite of a modern “zero trust” approach, which assumes data has been compromised until it has been confirmed reliable.
An all-fronts security approach that frees users and IT
Adding tighter security measures too often slows down user access, reduces productivity, and can result in users resorting to their own, unsecure “workarounds.” People will always seek an easier way to get work done. And they’ll even think they’re doing you a favor.
That’s why at Onix, we have aligned our approach to security and IT with the familiar, easy, and trusted Google Cloud tools that end users will actually use—and already do. That idea is at the heart of the three-pronged strategy Onix recommends for both heightened security from the inside out, and higher productivity using familiar, easy, and secure tools.
Take a three-pronged security approach
1. Patch faster without impacting workloads
In a world where every end point and every user create another 24/7 opportunity for malicious actors to access your systems, delaying a security patch by even a few hours can create unacceptable risk. The Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace services take care of these delays by automatically patching right away against the latest security threats. It doesn’t depend on end users being online at the right time to click the OK button and run the update, or managing the updates with complicated software. You’re always on-version.
2. Tap into a global security leader
If you can move all these security fixes, upgrades, and enhancements from your IT team to an expert resource, you free your IT staff to focus on delivering more value to your organization while also improving security. And the right partnership can provide access to a deeper level of security expertise to help protect your network than what is available in a typical IT department.
Onix recommends Google Cloud. From regulatory requirements, to experience in nearly every vertical and best practice, to enhanced monitoring and protective technologies, Google far exceeds what most companies want to support in-house.
3. Stay ahead of tomorrow’s threats
Because it’s not enough to be protected against the threats of today, but also tomorrow, you need to be ready to defeat the next attack vector, and the one after that. Google helps assure you’ll be ready with a combination of two-factor authentication and machine learning–based threat detection, coupled with powerful vulnerability management and security review processes. Management and new feature rollouts for advanced functionalities are a non-issue for resources because they’re handled as part of your cloud solution instead of being one more task on your internal team’s list. So you know your security measures are always aligned with the evolving threat landscape.
It’s more than a plan. It’s Google Work Safer
This approach is more than what the Onix Team recommends; it also aligns with Google’s Work Safer initiative to provide an all-in-one solution from Google with strong protections against phishing, malware, ransomware, and other cyberattacks. The Work Safer approach keeps businesses of every size safer with a zero-trust security model built for modern collaboration that’s:
Cloud-first
A browser-based approach that is architecturally superior and constantly updated
Global in scale
Operating on a global scale to protect your organization’s information
Built on zero trust
Built-in controls, encryption, and verification with a Zero Trust approach
Protects everyone, everywhere
Making everyone safer with secure endpoints and strong account takeover protections
To find out how Onix can guide you to a concrete strategy for deeper security and higher productivity, contact us now.
