However, as with any technology that experiences a period of rapid growth, we are now moving beyond the initial emphasis on speed to market. As Unified Communications become an increasingly essential part of the virtual workplace, we must now establish exactly how this impacts users, how it meets compliance requirements, and how secure it is.

Our initial response to COVID-19, which focused on the rapid onboarding of UC solutions, has demonstrated that we should always be vigilant when implementing new systems. Technological developments to address immediate concerns are certainly essential, but users – both personal and professional – must be conscious of any security risks and ensure they follow best practice at all times, particularly with BYOD arrangements. For example, the importance of utilising strong passwords is already well-established, but its importance was highlighted once again by recent incidents where cracked passwords have been used to disrupt online meetings, taking advantage of platforms' lack of end-to-end encryption^[2]. And whilst updates are regularly released for all platforms to rectify security issues as they are discovered, this doesn't eliminate the initial risk that is posed, which means users must take the time to educate themselves, with the support of their providers.

Data sovereignty is another serious concern, particularly in sectors like healthcare, legal and finance, which have strict requirements about how and where sensitive data is stored. Recent revelations that certain platforms routed user data through different countries to meet increasing demands for capacity^[3] are putting organisations' security posture into sharp focus. Going forward, providers of UC solutions must offer their users complete confidence they are compliant with all local and international data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, which may mean maintaining data centres across multiple regions.

As organisations in both the private and public sectors become more conscious of the potential security risks surrounding UC solutions, we are sure to see the establishment of clear best practice amongst both providers and users. However, this will require close collaboration between all parties concerned if we are to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to the issue, ensuring robust security is inherent in the design of all UC solutions rather than offering fixes when a breach does occur.

A secure VPN

Virtual Private Networks have long been the benchmark solution for remote working, but with the spread of COVID-19, we are seeing companies moving from maintaining a few VPN licenses for specific instances to deploying them for their whole workforce. However, there's a good reason for this – if implemented correctly, it maximises security by encrypting all data you send through your company network. While you may require a cloud-based solution for specific applications, a quality VPN is an intelligent foundation for your day-to-day work.

A password manager

It's no secret that reusing passwords across different platforms presents a great risk of cyber criminals accessing corporate systems through guesswork. Nonetheless, it's still tempting for employees to do so due to the difficulty in keeping track of large numbers of unique passwords, especially when they need to be regularly updated, in line with internal security protocols. Fortunately, a password manager tool which integrates with your web browser makes it easy to keep your passwords secure, while still ensuring they are available when you need them. Ask your IT team if they recommend a specific one.

Automated backups

External backups are a key part of any effective business continuity and disaster recovery strategy, which should still be the case when you're working from home rather than the office. Your company is likely to have a system in place for this, particularly if you have already adopted a cloud-based strategy, so ensure you follow all guidelines when you begin remote working.

The right WFH solution

One of the biggest obstacles to remote working in the past has been the need to maintain continuity with existing business processes and systems, ensuring work can be conducted as normal, without compromising either security or efficiency. Fortunately, there are several ways of doing this, but it's important to be conscious of security when using such solutions, and always use the one recommended by your IT team. A proven, trusted platform like Exponential-e's Working from Home solution is ideal, allowing teams to continue using your company's preferred tools as normal, regardless of where they are logging on from. This will ensure a smooth transition to remote working for the entire workforce.

Two-factor or multi-factor authentication

Related to the above, two-factor or multi-factor authentication provides an extra level of peace of mind, by creating an extra obstacle for cyber criminals, even if one of your passwords is compromised. As password theft measures have become increasingly sophisticated over the years, this is no longer a 'nice to have' measure - it should be a standard part of your remote working systems and wider security policies.

Effective anti-virus protection

Viruses continue to evolve on a near-daily basis, and which means a robust anti-virus solution should still be your first line of defence and may even give you time to secure your infrastructure in the event of a password being compromised. Make sure an industry-standard solution is installed on all your devices and enable automatic updates.