Remote work has become popular among employees. 74% of workers say they would be less inclined to leave a company if they could work from home. No commuting, better work-life balance, greater flexibility, and increased motivation attract employees to telecommuting. Although companies offer remote work, data security concerns them. Employees might use unsecured wifi networks, leave their computers and laptops unattended, or carry confidential documents to public locations.

As we pass the halfway point of 2022, it’s worth taking a look at the current trends which have been present within the cyber security world and what to look out for in the future. Being aware of trends allows organisations to plan for the future and put processes or defences in place before they’re required.

Most knowledge-economy workplaces are embracing the remote future of work. The question for these leaders is how to manage a workforce that may physically congregate in the office only once or twice a week, if ever. According to Gallup, as many as two-thirds of white-collar U.S. employees worked exclusively from home during the pandemic, a massive shift that will shape workplace culture for years to come.

Earlier this year, an industry report stated that 79% of businesses remain concerned about the security risks of an increasingly remote workforce. Cyberattacks are on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic, in part because many organizations fail to put in place adequate cybersecurity measures and procedures. In addition, there is a worldwide shortage of cybersecurity professionals in every industry.

The pandemic changed the way people work, and many companies have been fast to adapt to this shift in work culture by encouraging and promoting remote and hybrid work. Zero Trust Network Access or ZTNA is gaining popularity as a secure alternative to corporate VPN-based access to the internal application and network services.

Remote work is the new reality for companies of all sizes and across every industry. As the majority of employees now perform their job functions outside the technology ecosystem of their local office, the cybersecurity landscape has evolved with the adoption of terms such as Zero Trust and Secure Services Edge (SSE).

The world has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased the number of teams that are working with a remote and distributed model. This change is a welcome acceleration of what many feel would have been the eventual outcome of our digital future. With this new model comes a new and changing set of security challenges.