Organizations worldwide have reported facing new security challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a recent Pro-Vigil survey, nearly 20% of businesses said their organizations had experienced more physical security incidents in 2020 than the prior year. As a result of the pandemic, most organizations have had to adjust their security arrangements as per the changing risks and threats and a new work environment.
Here are some of the major security challenges for businesses during the pandemic.
Increased need for physical security
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increased need for physical security solutions for businesses. Facility managers have the additional task of ensuring health and safety for their staff in addition to the usual responsibilities for protecting people and physical assets. Many businesses did not have centralized security solutions in place before Covid-19 and found it difficult to manage day-to-day operations. For businesses with a primarily remote workforce, there’s a need to monitor and manage access to empty buildings that have become more vulnerable now.
Cybersecurity
Major cybersecurity issues have arisen during the pandemic as a result of a distributed workforce. Managing and securing people and sensitive data while working remotely has proved challenging for businesses worldwide. As per a report by Tanium, there has been an increase in risky behaviours from employees since the pandemic started. This includes storing sensitive data (41%), clicking on phishing emails (38%), inappropriate admin access (37%), and third-party file shares (31%). For companies that have shifted to a long term WFH model, cybersecurity training for employees has become more important than ever.
Employee training and guidance
As workplaces open up and new security systems come in place, there is a critical need to train the working staff and guide them effectively on security methodology and procedures. This requires additional resources for the organizations, and many are often clueless about what to do. Private security services can help you provide this training in a timely and effective manner to ensure safety for all.
Insider Threats
Many businesses now face the reality of reduced workforces, which can end up frustrating and overworking the existing employees. While working from home and lacking supervision, the employees may be more inclined to act in an undesired manner which exposes organizations to insider threats. Businesses need to put in place the right technologies and controls to avoid and effectively respond to these threats.
Duty of Care
Since employees no more gather in centralized locations as frequently, Duty of Care for employees has become more complex. The mental health of team members has become a top concern for employers due to Covid-19. Providing appropriate safety to employees, information dissemination, and contact tracing has become imperative in the post-covid world.
More than ever, it is important for organizations to work in close collaboration with security agencies to implement appropriate security measures to ensure the smooth functioning of their business and safety for their buildings, assets, and people.
