pass information security – Simon Wilson CTO, UK & Ireland, Aruba Networks
No matter what industry you work in, hybrid jobs are a hot topic. How do you enable it? What do you need to consider for your employees? There are a range of questions to ask, but perhaps at a glance how employee behavior drives your hybrid strategy.
Think back a year and a half; you might be working remotely. As with any major change, this dramatic and sudden shift shapes many of our characteristics, values, and traits just as much as our day-to-day lives. In fact, it has done so much that a new cross-generational group has emerged — the Gen-N.
Creator Digital Anthropologist and Salesforce Global Innovation Evangelist Brian Solis, Gen-N All share a specific set of traits due to their shared experiences with the pandemic. They thrive on digital-first experiences while placing greater emphasis on personalization, flexibility, and transparency.
Gen-N has a deeper understanding and need for technology than other employees.In fact, a recent reports It was found that many mixed-race workers today identify with these characteristics. For business and IT teams, this means adapting to Gen-N’s new behaviors and demands. Most urgent for the latter, the behavior of Generation N could inadvertently expose an organization to countless security risks.
A new workforce means new needs and aspirations
On top of that, Gen N is more comfortable at work and is well-adjusted to using technology – which understandably leads to a degree of increased confidence, as 75% consider themselves “digitally savvy”. Generation N has long felt that personalizing their workplace technology to meet their preferences is something they hold dear to their hearts.
However, this comes with a focus on mental health. Gen-N is careful not to let technology dominate their lives, even though it is a major part of their day-to-day work. The majority (80%) believe that their employers have a responsibility to maintain policies that actively encourage healthy use of technology.
Unfortunately for business leaders, less than half (48%) of Gen N currently believe their organization is inadequate and that current workplace policies do not support good mental health. In this regard, employers must ensure that they not only provide the right technology to support their workers, but also support their physical and mental health through the right policies on the use of health technology.
Risky conduct and even riskier businesses
Gen-N knew what they wanted, and with that came higher expectations for IT and the leadership team. Notably, productivity drops (35%) if they feel their needs are not being met. The result could be a potentially risky mix, as half of survey respondents said they were more likely to try to solve technical problems themselves now than before the pandemic.
This should be a wake-up call for policymakers and IT teams around the world. Companies are open about cybersecurity risks related to where, when and how employees log into their work devices. What’s more, Gen N’s desire for hybrid and flexible work means that this group frequently logs into their work devices from multiple locations, with 27% using their own devices for work-related matters.
This risky behavior goes a step further, with more than half of Gen N respondents admitting to connecting to a public network that isn’t password-protected at least once a week – only a third consider it a security risk.
The result is a potential nightmare for IT teams trying to meet hybrid work expectations while maintaining operational security, meaning they need to be more aware of cybersecurity than ever before.
Solving the Gen-N Security Dilemma
While some Gen-N practices pose risks to IT security, more than half (61%) say they feel safer working in a hybrid environment. With this in mind, for any enterprise’s hybrid model to work – decision makers must consider balancing technology choices and workforce flexibility with security.
This begs the question, what approach should business leaders take? A good starting point is to simplify security operations using automation and a zero-trust security model. Combined with real-time monitoring by IT teams, it becomes easier to detect, isolate and prevent network breaches.
Gen-Ns tend to work from different locations – while frequently using personal devices – whether it’s their home, office or coffee shop, which means support and security visibility have never been more important. For businesses to better understand their network, a unified infrastructure that is centrally managed through a single point of control is the way to go.
While this new group may have a unique set of needs, quirks, and attributes, balancing safety nets with the openness, flexibility and personalization that employees seek will be the difference between hybrid work and failure. With the right technology solutions, decision makers can achieve this.
