The pandemic triggered an unprecedented shift in how businesses operate. Practically overnight, companies had to pivot to a remote work model. IT teams scrambled to adjust network architectures and policies, ensuring employees could remain productive and connected while maintaining robust security.
Believe it or not, it’s almost been five years since the beginning of the pandemic and all those changes. Which means if you haven’t re-evaluated the infrastructure and policies you put in place back then, now is the time… because a lot has changed.
Transitioning From WFH to Hybrid
When the pandemic struck, most businesses had to quickly shift from an office-centric work environment to primarily work from home. Employees needed PCs they could take home and use for video conferencing. They needed VPNs that would allow them to securely log into company resources from home networks of questionable security. Network resources needed to be shifted from supporting employees working inside the building on the local LAN to employees spread across the region with various internet connections.
As we enter 2025, the “average” worker splits time between working in the office and at home. This requires flexibility that wasn’t necessary when everyone was either in the office or working from home. This model brings unique challenges, including:
- Employees accessing sensitive corporate data from varying locations.
- Network traffic patterns and workloads are distributed across multiple cloud services, on-premises servers, and remote devices.
- An expanded attack surface, with cyber threats targeting devices, home networks, and cloud applications.
To ensure employee productivity and corporate security, businesses need to optimize these key areas of their IT infrastructure to handle the unique challenges of hybrid work.
1. Strengthen Endpoint Security
Hybrid work means a variety of endpoints—laptops, tablets, mobile phones—are connected to corporate resources.
Endpoint security must be a cornerstone of your strategy:
-
-
-
- Deploy the latest endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor and mitigate threats in real-time.
- Implement strict policies for device authentication, ensuring only approved devices can access sensitive systems and data.
- Use remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools to oversee devices and networks. Regularly update and patch endpoint software to address vulnerabilities.
- Encrypt data on the device and when stored in the cloud.
-
-
2. Strengthen Employee Authentication
The traditional perimeter-based security model (i.e. trust anyone inside the firewall) is no longer adequate in a hybrid work world. When a device can be in the office in the morning and remote in the afternoon, even using usernames and passwords for access is a threat.
-
-
-
- Use multifactor authentication (MFA) for every user, regardless of location.
- Verify user identities and device compliance before granting access to resources.
- Segment networks to restrict lateral movement if a breach occurs.
-
-
3. Optimize Network Performance
Review your current network demands, from office Wi-Fi to broadband connection. Are most employees working in the office Monday through Thursday and working from home on Friday? If so, can your network handle that shift?
In addition to increasing capacity where needed, also:
-
-
-
- Leverage analytics to gain insights into system performance and user activity to identify and resolve bottlenecks before they impact users.
- Use quality-of-service (QoS) policies to prioritize critical applications over recreational traffic.
-
-
The Time to Act Is Now
The hybrid work model isn’t a temporary trend—it’s the new normal (to reuse a cliché). Businesses that fail to adapt will expose themselves to security vulnerabilities, productivity issues, and frustrated employees and customers. On the other hand, businesses that proactively optimize their architectures and policies can gain a competitive advantage. As you prepare to begin 2025, ask yourself which type of business you want to be and act accordingly.
