The past two years have seen unprecedented growth in the number of employees working from home. Before the pandemic, Americans spent 5% of their working time at home. By spring 2020, more than 60% the US workforce was working from home. CIOs and chief information security officers (CISOs) were thrust into a fire drill to keep their businesses running by enabling more employees to work from home. Employees now report an increase in happiness due to working more hours from home. As businesses bring employees back to the office, expectations about where work happens have changed forever. Many organizations have opted to permanently move to home-based workforces for at least part of their labor force and, consequently, they must be able to support a hybrid work environment for the foreseeable future.
With millions of employees now working from home most of the time, security leaders must protect the data, systems, and devices that sit outside the traditional enterprise network perimeter. The home office has thus become the new edge of the enterprise network. Still, many organizations continue to treat home offices like generic remote access locations - such as cafés or airports - and do not apply layered network controls that are typical in branch offices. Instead, in their rush to enable remote workers, many CISOs implemented more endpoint security controls, VPNs, and multi-factor authentication. While these approaches have generally enabled employees to stay productive, most home offices still lack critical network security controls – such as firewalls, IDS/IPS, antivirus protection, web and application filtering, and ransomware/phishing prevention - that enterprises typically mandate in their corporate offices. Neglecting these critical security controls leaves companies reliant employees to manage (or, more frequently, not manage) the security of their home network and creates significantly increased risk of network and computer security compromises.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "de1556bcc9a0fd496a8646ee9f", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "e908c4e56e7babfd1a0947b461", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.photoTile", "data" : { "image" : { "path" : "/images/Articles/securing-new-home-office-edge/securing-new-home-office-infographic.png", "focal_point" : { "x" : 0.5, "y" : 0.5 }, "meta_data" : { "height" : 534, "width" : 2060 } }, "photoAlign" : "Center", "alt" : "An image showing internet attack percentages." } }, { "id" : "e4c24ef0e428b07f38ba18fd80", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "eeb810d0d1ca15663fdaf04821", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "vertAlign" : "Top", "textAlign" : "Left", "headingStyle" : "Default", "theme" : "Dark Text", "desc" : "Not surprisingly, bad actors have taken advantage of these weakened remote security controls. Ransomware attacks jumped 150% in 2021. The average ransom demand grew 36% to $6.1 million. 83% of organizations said they experienced e-mail phishing attacks in 2021, compared with 57% in 2020.
So, what should CISOs do to improve home office edge security and better manage the risks associated with employees working from home?
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "d04d33f48fcba45fd54137dd29", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "6b927dcec65a3342569c49ea21", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "heading" : "Linksys and Fortinet have joined forces to offer Linksys HomeWRK for Business, a home office networking solution that provides businesses of all sizes with a secure and scalable networking solution to reduce the risk of employees working from home. By embedding Fortinet Security within the Linksys Mesh Router, the joint solution provides enterprise-class security, controls, and visibility. Linksys has also developed one-touch provisioning and remote administration capabilities that simplify implementation and deployment without compromising security.
Linksys HomeWRK leverages Fortinet Security to provide a high-performance firewall, virtual private network (VPN) functionality, intrusion prevention system (IPS), application control, URL filtering, antivirus, antispam and visibility.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "5d381e2aecb0c2e3b86fdf183a", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "31bc233ae2d901c0372e7fee05", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "heading" : "Network Segmentation: Support for network segmentation using multiple SSIDs on the same router to separate corporate and personal network traffic. Segmenting the traffic enables a higher level of protection for accessing corporate systems from the home.
Antivirus: Automated protection against polymorphing attack components, viruses, spyware, and other content-level threats.
Web and Application Filtering: AI-powered analytics and filtering to block web, application, video content, phishing, and ransomware for comprehensive protection and regulatory compliance.
IPS: Detection and blocking of network-level threats and network intrusions using Fortinet’s FortiGuard IPS Library with thousands of signatures and context-aware policies for full control of attack detection.
IPsec VPN: Support for IPsec virtual private networking to encrypt traffic between the router and the corporate network, ensuring the confidentiality of communications.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "45dedc5da3bbbdf0a52d582dfc", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { } }, { "id" : "1054c87171fce85c4dfd87a412", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "heading" : "Zero-Touch Provisioning: Linksys HomeWRK devices support Zero-Touch provisioning and remote administration to simplify the employee’s user experience.
Traffic Optimization: Prioritization of traffic improves performance for bandwidth-intensive applications such as video conferencing.
Intelligent Mesh and WiFi 6: Supports Linksys Intelligent Mesh and WiFi 6 technology to deliver gigabit WiFi speeds to every corner of the home.
IPS: Detection and blocking of network-level threats and network intrusions using Fortinet’s FortiGuard IPS Library with thousands of signatures and context-aware policies for full control of attack detection.
Security Visibility: Powerful log management, analytics, and reporting that provide organizations with single-pane orchestration, automation, and response for simplified security operations, proactive identification, and remediation of risk.
Global Distribution: Linksys provides global order management, staging, and fulfillment that eliminates the need for an IT administrator to physically administer the device before shipment.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "460df210ccbe6d3c2e7fba213f", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "10a3c13ec75884ace8e632fe0f", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "vertAlign" : "Top", "textAlign" : "Left", "headingStyle" : "Default", "theme" : "Dark Text", "desc" : "Learn more about Linksys HomeWRK and find out how we can help you secure the new home office edge.
Contact your Linksys or Fortinet sales representative or email: HomeWRKSales@linksys.com for details on how to try the solution.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "1c116035161ac2a32ecfb48703", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "64", "spacerSize" : "64" } } ] }, { "id" : "column2" } ] } ] } ] }WiFi technology has improved greatly in recent years, but it’s not one-size-fits-all, especially when it comes to businesses. Large office spaces with heavy traffic typically utilize WiFi access points, while small offices with limited users are more likely to have WiFi routers and range extenders. Let’s take a look at how their features compare to find the best WiFi solution for you.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "b61e6f2cad1f2446272d0f0bc3", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "8eaf65c4bf7c453b009184dff4", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "heading" : "An access point is a device that creates a wireless local area network, or WLAN, usually in an office or large building. An access point connects to a wired router, switch, or hub via an Ethernet cable, and projects a WiFi signal to a designated area. For example, if you want to enable WiFi access in your company's reception area but don’t have a router within range, you can install an access point near the front desk and run an Ethernet cable through the ceiling back to the server room.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "803495d1c93a0058d8cb2e646f", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "72ebb0a3799040855a6a0e2ee8", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "heading" : "As its name implies, a range extender lengthens the reach of an existing WiFi network. Since range extenders connect wirelessly to WiFi routers, they must be placed where the WiFi router's signal is already strong, not in the location of the actual dead spot. For instance, if your router is in the basement of a two-story building, installing a range extender on the ground floor (where coverage from the WiFi router is still strong) will eliminate potential dead zones on the second floor.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "c5187939fe41741b2f92b1e743", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "56f067741321c10d88a838310a", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "heading" : "While range extenders are great for home WiFi networks, they’re not efficient for modern businesses. This is because they can only support a limited number of devices at one time, usually no more than 20. While range extenders do increase the coverage of a WiFi router, they do not increase its available bandwidth. Depending on the number of devices you have connected simultaneously, a range extender could end up weighing down your connection.
Access points, on the other hand, can handle over 60 simultaneous connections each. By installing access points throughout the office, users can roam freely from room to room without experiencing network interruptions. As they move through the building, their devices shift seamlessly from one access point to the next without dropping the connection—they won’t even realize they’re switching between networks.
" }, "regions" : [ { "id" : "textBoxBtns" } ] }, { "id" : "d39b2d90ce05283f4faaef99f1", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.spacer", "data" : { "spacerSizeMobile" : "32", "spacerSize" : "32" } }, { "id" : "12bc0206581d180280a9f700ac", "type_id" : "commerce_assets.editorialRichText", "data" : { "descSize" : "Small - 14px", "eyebrowSize" : "Default - 16px", "spacing" : "16", "textPosition" : "Center", "descCol" : "1 Column", "heading" : "When you have both employees and guests connecting with desktops, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets, 20 devices on a wireless network adds up quickly. At 60 simultaneous connections each, access points give you the freedom to scale the number of devices supported on your network. But that’s only one of the advantages of using these network enhancers—consider these points:
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