Why Your Hybrid Workforce Needs a Secure Digital Workspace

The COVID-19 pandemic, increasing digital technologies, and the shifting generational perspective on the workplace have made more employees favor hybrid and remote models. According to a recent study by Accenture, 83% of global workers prefer a hybrid work situation, and 63% of high-growth organizations currently have a work from anywhere policy.

While hybrid and remote workforces offer numerous benefits, they can make it challenging for IT teams to manage security. If businesses want to have productive hybrid workforces, they need secure digital workspaces that support all employees.

What Are Digital Workspaces?

Digital workspaces comprise multiple technologies that promote secure and reliable access to corporate applications, data, and files from any compatible device or location. Organizations across various industries can benefit from utilizing digital workspaces, whether they have an entire workforce that operates from different sites or only a few remote employees.

When properly devised and maintained, digital workspaces can be more effective than legacy technologies. These workspaces exhibit the following key characteristics:

• Seamless agility: Teams operating from separate locations can collaborate virtually. Workers have secure access to the same apps and consolidated data from anywhere — whether at home, in the office, or while traveling.
• Enhanced productivity: Digital workspaces enable end-users to complete daily assignments more efficiently with automated and customized workflows. They also augment collaboration by allowing employees to edit central files with well-defined version management.
• Centralized security protection: Since granting workers access to business data from personal devices increases cybersecurity risks, digital workspaces offer multiple mechanisms for end-user authentication, including streamlined, zero-trust sign-on for heightened protection.

Why Do Hybrid Teams Need Digital Workspaces?

Secure digital workspaces are vital for organizations with hybrid or remote employees because they strengthen hybrid workforce cybersecurity and productivity. Many businesses using on-site legacy technologies need innovative digital solutions that help them grow and stay competitive within their industries. Companies will also need to address the following security issues as they switch to a hybrid work model:

• Finding workspaces that balance productivity with security and provide a standardized level of protection for employees operating from multiple locations
• Mitigating the complexities of using various digital tools to find a centralized solution that connects cloud, endpoint, and network infrastructure
• Recovering from crisis events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic
• Responding to the growing number of cybersecurity threats

How Do Digital Workspaces Enhance Hybrid Workforce Cybersecurity?

Digital workspaces are the ideal option for uniting employees scattered across multiple sites. They help businesses adapt to changes in work models and provide constant and secure user experiences for all employees. Some of the specific advantages of implementing digital workspaces include:

Greater Flexibility

Since digital workspaces provide a centralized location for staff members to access data, they enable businesses to scale up without making radical changes. Whether a company needs to employ a new security measure, integrate a new software-as-a-service (SaaS) application, or transfer fully to a remote work situation, digital workspaces ensure they can expand without putting more pressure on IT teams. For example, this flexibility advantage can be clearly illustrated during merger and acquisition transactions.

Increased Compatibility

By delivering a consistent user experience, digital workspaces simplify device agnosticism. Device agnosticism refers to data and applications compatible across multiple systems and numerous devices, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Organizations can use cloud-based desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) digital workspaces to augment compatibility while mitigating management and maintaining consolidated and secure access.

Support for Specialists

Besides implementing hybrid and remote workforces, more businesses seek independent contractors and freelancers to assist with new initiatives. Digital workspaces ensure these consultants have an effective and secure means to collaborate with staff members.

Gain a Secure Digital Workspace for Your Hybrid Workforce

Although a safe digital workspace is essential for hybrid workforce cybersecurity, many IT departments struggle to design a secure infrastructure for dispersed employees. At IGEL, we offer a next-generation endpoint operating system (OS) that allows users to access virtualized data, applications, and cloud workspaces while giving IT teams enhanced management abilities at scale. Ideal for DaaS, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), and remote employees, IGEL OS software can run on any compatible x86-64 endpoint device, including PCs, laptops, and tablets.

By partnering with IGEL, your organization can save on operating expenditures while experiencing heightened security at the edge. Our OS integrates easily with existing workplace environments on any x86-64 device, and delivers an exceptional end-user experience that helps boost overall employee performance and satisfaction.

Contact us today for a free trial of IGEL OS and to learn more about how our services can strengthen hybrid workforce cybersecurity.