Blog Layout
Working from home? Slow broadband, remote security remain top issues
Leo Daniels • October 13, 2020
This is a subtitle for your new post
Unreliable home broadband connectivity is the primary technical challenge businesses are having to deal with as remote working continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s one takeaway from a survey of 100 C-level executives and IT professionals in the US by Navisite designed to highlight the biggest headaches for organizations providing IT services to workers since offices began to close in March.
Around half (51%) of those surveyed said they experienced some “IT pains” during the rapid shift to support home workers, while almost a third (29%) continue to face technical challenges.
At the same time, the majority (83%) now expect to continue with remote work policies when pandemic restrictions are lifted.
The top concern for long-term WFH: The need for broadband
Ensuring employees can carry out their work at home over a longer period presents some concerns for organizations. Chief among these is poor internet bandwidth, an issue cited by nearly half (49%) of the respondents.
With meetings being held using video apps such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams — in addition to the deployment of a range of collaboration and productivity tools —unreliable internet connections have caused headaches.
“If you have poor home internet performance, it can cause problems with the quality of the video and audio on those videoconference platforms, which prevents people from getting work done and effectively engaging and collaborating,” said Navisite CEO Mark Clayman.
“It’s also an issue when you consider the many systems, applications and the amount of data now located in the cloud — poor internet bandwidth can hinder access and performance with the tools employees use daily.”
One common challenge: an employee may not be the only person in the household placing high demands on bandwidth. “This is especially true when both telework and remote schooling are occurring simultaneously,” said Karyn Price, a senior industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
“Some solutions, like remote SD-WAN, can assist by allocating bandwidth to a user’s highest-priority applications, but can have the unintended consequence of a student getting kicked out of a virtual school platform because Mom or Dad is on a conference call.”
Security and compliance
The second biggest worry, cited by 46% of respondents, is maintaining security and compliance for remote workers.
According to Navisite, more than a third (36%) of respondents said they were unprepared for the shift to remote work. And the rush to workers outside the office at unprecedented levels likely resulted in IT teams skipping over normal security protocols.
“The goal was, ‘Get everyone online now,’” said Clayman. “This haste could potentially expose security gaps for organizations, and these gaps need to be addressed — both to protect the integrity of a business and its IT systems and data, and to ensure compliance with industry and local regulations.”
Price pointed to cloud-based services that can help overcome such issues. For example, Desktop-as-a-Service and Workspace-as-a-Service can provide secure access to corporate data and services, and can be deployed, configured and managed centrally.
“This enables the business to ensure that security and compliance profiles and appropriate access restrictions are maintained, and that data is not housed on local, or possibly personal, devices that are not protected,” she said.
“Usage of these sorts of solutions have increased since March 2020, and we expect that trend to continue.”
WFH worries: staffing resources and user negligence, but not cost
Other concerns cited include home use negligence or inappropriate use of corporate devices (20%); staffing resources needed to manage large numbers of remote users (13%); management tools to support remote users (12%); and fears of overloading enterprise remote access solutions (11%).
Lowest on the list was cost, which was cited by 10% of respondents.
“Given that the work-from-home trend is likely here to stay in some capacity well beyond COVID, we’re finding that organizations have already shifted their cost models to account for this change, and are now more focused, as the survey highlights, on making the experience more secure and seamless,” said Clayman.
Price said the finding matches data with Frost & Sullivan’s research, which shows that if a cloud product meets business requirements, cost concerns are less apparent.
“In a pandemic era, investing in robust remote-work solutions will yield business benefits in terms of business continuity, continued productivity, and ultimately, the ability of the business to thrive during these unique times,” she said.
At the same time, Price noted that businesses have become less reactive in their procurement.
“Businesses that initially engaged their cloud or managed service provider and said, ‘Give me whatever solution will get me up and running’ in the beginning of the pandemic are now taking a more thoughtful approach, much as enterprises are doing with cloud in general,” she said.
“They are being more strategic about how they deploy remote work technology solutions, as well as to how they manage corporate digital transformation as a whole.”
We’re 1-fix, we can help you secure your business
At 1-fix, we take a realistic approach to technology – ensuring our client’s systems are best protected.
If you have any concerns, questions or simply want to explore how to better secure your business, please do get in touch with the team for a FREE demonstration, consultation to explore how exposed your business might be and identify actions to take.
Join Our Mailing List
All sign-ups are handled inline with our privacy policy and can unsubscribe at any time.
Recent Blogs
Data loss can occur due to various reasons, including hardware failures, cyberattacks, natural disasters, and human error. To protect your business from these risks, it's crucial to implement a strong data backup and security strategy.
While technology is essential for a successful business, it can also be a significant expense. Fortunately, there are several strategies you can implement to reduce IT costs without compromising on quality or performance.
Businesses are constantly faced with decisions about how to best manage their IT infrastructure. One of the most significant choices is whether to adopt cloud services or stick with on-premises solutions. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks, and the right choice depends on your business's specific needs and goals. Let's explore the key differences between cloud services and on-premises solutions to help you make an informed decision.
Nowadays, businesses rely heavily on technology to operate efficiently and stay competitive. However, with the increasing dependence on IT systems, businesses also face a myriad of IT issues that can disrupt operations and impact productivity.
One of the most effective tools to protect your business against cyber attacks is a password manager. But what exactly is a password manager, how does it work, and why is it essential for your business?
One of the most effective ways to protect your organisation from cyber threats is through Security Awareness Training. But what exactly is Security Awareness Training, how does it work, and why is it essential for your business? Let's explore these questions with a focus on KnowBe4, a leading platform in this field.
Get in Touch
Fill in this form to contact us and we'll get back to you ASAP (same working day where possible):
Contact Us
1-Fix Limited
Company Registration Number: 06543233
Registered address:
1-Fix Limited
1F02 Arena Business Centre, 100 Berkshire Place, Winnersh Triangle, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 5RD
