How to make technology cool and better protect remote workers

Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, SANS Institute.

Human behaviour towards cybersecurity practices or managing the risk of the pandemic, varies by individuals. Yet every social action or organisational behaviour has a consequence. By monitoring human activity and reinforcing positive actions to adopt safe cybersecurity practices or following safe-pandemic practices, organisations and human communities can benefit. Designing applications that reward an individual with points and badges and displays them publicly can help mobilise positive movement. Gamifications can help improve the level of compliance towards following basic cybersecurity best practices in an organisation.

With remote workforces becoming part of the post-pandemic workplace there is a human resource requirement to relook at the level of basic technology skills across the hybrid workforce. However, a gamification approach may be required to add an active element of interest around this activity.

It is essential that remote workers maintain a clean record on the Internet. The post-pandemic phase has seen a disproportionate level of stress and readjustment and this may continue in the months ahead. But venting strong feelings and thoughts across multiple social media sites may just start working against remote workers and their teams.

One of the fastest ways for remote workers to get comfortable and experienced is to allow them to build up software tools and use them to test the technologies at their remote workplace. Instruct remote workers how to spend hands-on time with technology, engage with technology, break it and then fix-it.

If remote workers are at home let them feel comfortable to build a lab at home. Encourage teams to be curious about technology, allowing them to make mistakes. The more mistakes they make, the more they are learning. And more technology learning helps to boost better understanding of cyber security best practices.

Get remote workers and teams to share their experiences. If you want to physically protect a building, you need to understand doors, windows, and structure. For information security, remote workers need to understand the basics of computer networking.

An experienced worker who is ready to engage with remote teams, can boost the confidence levels of remote workers who may find themselves without support at odd hours of the day or night. Informal mentorship can help plug such gaps and help to retain confidence in the organisation’s technology set up across remote workers and remote teams.

On a final note, every remote worker has their favourite device, app or feature. Use that as a starting point for them to explore, learn, share and move forward. Conforming to and understanding the organisation’s cybersecurity best practices may just become an easy ride for them as they plunge into technologies that help them to work better and better.

Capture the Flag events are not only a great way to interact with your peers and like-minded individuals, they are also a great way to learn and apply new skills in a real-life situation. Playing either on your own or with your team and really help you hone your skills.

Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, SANS Institute.
Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, SANS Institute.

Key takeaways

  • By reinforcing positive actions to adopt safe cybersecurity practice, organisations and human communities can benefit.
  • Gamifications can help improve the level of compliance towards following basic cybersecurity best practices.
  • Remote workers can build up software tools and use them to test the technologies at their remote workplace.
  • Encourage teams to be curious about technology, allowing them to make mistakes.