IDM 2018: Our Fake Beach Was a Lesson in Securing Your Workplace, Wherever it is

Posted on 22 November 2018

When it’s cold outside the event hall and all you can think about is Christmas, you know it’s time to create a fake beach to cling onto the memory of summer. For Identity Experts’ events team, however, there was more to our recent exhibition theme than just escaping winter – like securing your workplace.

If you were at November’s IDM London event, or at the Public Sector Solutions Expo in Manchester, then you might recognise our name from the makeshift beach. For those of you who couldn’t make the events, it was a welcome call back to summer.

Both events are big-hitters in their own arenas: the former is a definitive name within the identity and access management community, while the latter provides an unmissable opportunity for the public sector to scout out innovation and new ways of thinking.

This year, we decided to exhibit at both, bringing our own summery flavour to proceedings, complete with palm trees, a sun lounger, and even the occasional tipple for that genuine holiday feeling.

But behind the greenery and the branded Identity Experts bar, there was a very deliberate reason for this year’s theme – one which some attendees may have caught already: remote working is all the better when it’s done securely.

Security & Productivity

You don’t need us to tell you how popular remote working has become; recent studies suggest almost 70% of employees around the globe spend at least one day a week working from home.

Despite its rising popularity, however, remote working still has a few kinks to iron out – something which many businesses are starting to understand as they give employees the opportunity to work outside the traditional office environment.

Of course, productivity comes immediately to mind, but there’s also security to consider. Often overlooked, it too plays a significant role in perfecting remote working, and taking some time to address external (and internal) threats can make all the difference.

Not All Fun in the Sun

Wherever remote employees choose to work – the beach (as we demonstrated), the local coffee shop, or even just the garden – they are vulnerable to various cybersecurity threats.

Some of those threats are, admittedly, visible in the office as much as they are remotely. These might include BYOD (bring your own device) policies and password security, to name but a few.

That’s why, at this month’s events, we decided to put secure remote working in the spotlight – securing your workplace, wherever it is.

For organisations, this can mean implementing on-boarding processes which see employees receive work-specific devices, connected by a single solution such as Microsoft 365 to maintain consistency and security across the business.

Away from hackers, cyberthreats, and virus-riddled personal devices, there are also physical security risks to remote working: even the best can sometimes leave their devices behind with their empty coffee cup, or not notice that their confidential information is being spied by inquisitive eyes in public.

By introducing the likes of multi-factor authentication – demanding users provide varying ‘factors’ of identification in order to access their device – lost laptops, tablets, and mobile phones can be secured against intruders.

What’s more, tying work devices into Microsoft 365 means that employee devices can be wiped remotely, keeping control firmly in the hands of the organisation.

Now You Can Relax

 The idea that remote working carries risks beyond how efficient employees are can be off-putting to those already sceptical of this different model of work. Rest-assured, however, that the benefits far out-weigh the risks.

Not only does remote working allow businesses to offer employees the flexibility which they’re after, they can source talent from further afield, re-shaping the workplace and fuelling all-important growth plans.

We’re Here to Help

As visitors to our event stands discovered when they set foot on our faux sandy beach, Identity Experts offers a range of services which can help to secure remote working and ensure employees make the most from being able to work from anywhere.

If you didn’t get a chance to visit our stand and find this out for yourself (or you’d like a refresh), feel free to explore our solutions, or reach out directly – we’d love to hear from you.

And as for next year’s stand, well…you’ll just have to wait and see what we have in store. For now, you can put your feet up, grab a cocktail, and relax: your remote working is in safe hands.

Identity Experts are the first name in identity and access management. As Microsoft Gold Partners, we’re well-equipped to help  you with securing your workplace. To find out more, feel free to get in touch.

 

 

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