As Workforces Remain in Virtual Mode, a Reminder to Remain Focused on Security

Securing the network while empowering employees to work where they are was one topic in a wide-ranging workforce panel discussion at the Texas Digital Government Summit in Austin.

Kenny Holmes of Fortinet, Anthony DiCuffa of Adobe, and Jerry White, HR director for the Texas Workforce Commission, discussed culture in a virtual workforce and reminded employers that a cyber-secure workforce is a necessity in this work-from-home environment.

Each offered advice for keeping a secure workforce and, in turn, a secure network environment.

Educate employees. Employers cannot see into all workspaces and enforce security hygiene, Holmes said. Provide training about keeping laptops and desktop equipment secure and staying abreast of current email or Internet scams.

Use vendors who are certified cyber-secure. One way Texas makes this possible is the TX-RAMP program via the Department of Information Resources, where cybersecurity is a top priority.

“My advice is to make sure that [vendors] support TX-RAMP; it makes the procurement process that much easier, simpler,” White said.

Enable electronic signatures. E-signature was recognized as early as 2000 as a legal signature. Multiple technology companies provide e-signature services and an array of document management tools.

“We have solutions that digitize that, make it virtual, make it easy to get a signature wherever (a) signature needs to be gathered,” DiCuffa said. “A lot of our customers are now realizing that getting that fish in the boat is critical, and that’s absolutely something they’re asking us to help them with.”

Know your employees and what equipment they are using from mobile devices to desktops. Use identity management and features including multifactor authentication or single sign-on.

“I love to talk about zero trust,” Holmes said. “It sounds really negative: Zero trust, don’t trust it. But it’s a philosophy that states no one inside or outside of the network is trusted unless your identification has really been thoroughly vetted.”