Companies ditching VPNs for zero trust architectures to secure hybrid workplaces

Hybrid workplaces are the new norm, with 99% of respondents’ reporting their workforces will split time between the office and remote settings post-pandemic, a Teradici survey of more than 8,000 respondents across a range of industries reveals.

The survey also found that concerns about endpoint security and data integrity are skyrocketing as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) makes a comeback and employees commute with their devices.

“The pandemic has caused a fundamental shift in how people work, and the ‘office’ will never be the same,” said Ziad Lammam, Global Head of Teradici Product Management, HP.

“As a result of the enormous security concerns associated with unmanaged devices, as well as BYOD, organizations are changing how they think about securing their corporate assets. Expect to see companies move away from traditional VPNs to Zero Trust architectures to shore up their endpoints and protect their data.”

Securing hybrid workplaces with zero trust

Hybrid work is here for the long term: 99% of respondents reported their companies will have a hybrid workforce, and nearly 40% expect half of their workforce to operate remotely at least twice a week post-pandemic. This will precipitate a number of changes to network environments and architecture due to significant security concerns. Device authentication and authorization must be taken seriously.

Even with fewer commuting days, workers’ treks are a security concern: The survey showed that 53% of respondents plan to enable employees to commute with endpoint devices, and this is a hot button of concern for IT. 98% are concerned about security and/or data integrity as a result of employees commuting with endpoint devices.

BYOD is back: Of survey respondents, 90% say their companies are using a mix of employee-and corporate-owned devices; only 10% are predominantly using corporate-owned devices. The mix of devices will likely continue to escalate, with 74% of respondents reporting they expect more use of BYOD, and nearly 25% seeing increased need for device authorization to protect against data breaches.

To combat security concerns, organizations will move to remote access and zero trust architectures: Companies have largely relied on VPNs for employees to connect remotely, as many organizations have not yet completed their migration to the cloud. As hybrid work becomes the norm over the long term, remote desktop technologies with zero trust architectures will replace VPNs in an effort to better protect corporate networks. On top of this, IT will need to enhance the security awareness of employees to prevent human leaks and breaches.