Is the Hybrid Workplace Your Biggest Security Blind Spot?

Securing the Hybrid Workforce with Best-of-Breed SASE and Email Security

IS THE HYBRID WORKPLACE YOUR BIGGEST SECURITY BLIND SPOT?

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Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................. 3 The Growing Complexity of Remote Work Security ........................... 4 Traditional Security Measures Are No Longer Enough ...................... 6 Adapting to the New Security Realities of Hybrid Work .................... 8 What is SASE? ............................................................................10 SASE is a Critical Component to Securing the Hybrid Workforce .....................................................11 Protecting Hybrid Workforces with Check Point Harmony SASE and Email Security ..............................12 Harmony SASE: The Next Evolution of Hybrid Workforce Security ............................13 Harmony Email Security: Defending Against Email-Based Threats ........................................15 Conclusion ..................................................................................17

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Introduction The modern workplace has become fluid. As software has advanced to make work-from-anywhere a viable choice for many roles across organizations large and small, many businesses now operate in hybrid work environments that mix in-office and remote working models or are fully remote. Nearly half of the white-collar workforce works away from corporate offices for at least two days each week.

While this changing world of work has presented flexibility and myriad new opportunities for workers, it has also brought a host of new security challenges to IT leaders and CISOs now grappling with how to secure a new and highly dynamic security infrastructure. In the hybrid workplace the security perimeter has effectively disappeared, and the attack surface has expanded considerably.

For organizations to stay secure in this new era of work, they must adopt a more advanced and integrated approach to cyber security—one that is purpose-built to protect users, devices, and data across multiple locations and networks. Understanding how to safely and cost-effectively architect for our evolving workplace will be one of the top challenges of the next decade.

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The Growing Complexity of Remote Work Security As hybrid work becomes the norm, organizations have found it increasingly difficult to secure a workforce spread across diverse locations. Half of the CISOs surveyed in a 2024 study conducted by 1Password reported that hybrid and remote workers pose the biggest risk to their organization’s security. The traditional model of IT security, which involved placing a rigid security perimeter around the corporate network, loses its effectiveness when employees are accessing corporate resources from coffee shops, homes, and other remote locations.

The challenges of securing the hybrid workforce can be broken down into three key themes:

The hybrid workplace is harder and more expensive to manage Unlike office-based employees, some remote workers may use personal devices (BYOD) and networks, making them more difficult to monitor and secure. A study by Ivanti found that employees at 84 percent of organizations globally were using their own devices for work, though just 52 percent allow it—a significant security risk. And among those that do not allow it, 78 percent of IT and security professionals say employees use BYOD even when forbidden.

This added complexity also requires more resources, tools, and time to manage—just as security budgets have been reduced and the cyber industry is facing a record skills shortage. Cyber attacks can originate through these endpoints without detection, leading to large-scale breaches that can go unnoticed until the damage has been done.

IT leaders have less control over how employees access enterprise resources With employees working from various locations, many IT and security departments are not able to fully dictate how or where users connect to corporate applications. This reduces the ability to impose traditional security controls—and protect against threats. There is also the challenge of employees who circumvent security policies. These security blind spots can become gaping holes in an organization’s overall security posture.

The 2024 Verizon Mobile Security Index found that organizations have seen a steady increase in security incidents originating from mobile compromise, moving from fewer than 30% of surveyed companies in 2018 to more than half (53%) today.

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https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/benefits/hybrid-remote-workers-considered-top-source-of-security-risks-by-cisos/511155?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/threat-prevention/what-is-byod-bring-your-own-device/ https://www.ft.com/content/06465a8f-5348-419e-b2e2-37c1737bc47a?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/cyber-security/what-is-cyber-attack/ https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T4fb/reports/2024-mobile-security-index.pdf#:~:text=This%202024%20Verizon%20Mobile%20Security%20Index%20report%20has,Internet%20of%20Things%20%28IoT%29%20deployments%20and%20artificial%20intelligen?msockid=1781b709822e69b63e2da22483796821

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Cyber attacks are becoming more damaging and complex The security threats facing businesses today are no longer limited to viruses or malware. Attackers are becoming more sophisticated, leveraging social engineering, phishing, and other advanced tactics to compromise remote workers.

It is estimated that 60% of organizations were impacted by ransomware in 2024, and phishing attacks have skyrocketed by 4,151% since the public release of ChatGPT in late 2022. Even as cyber security technology is improving, harmful cyber threats are evolving faster.

Only 63 percent of organizations are able to track BYOD alongside corporate-owned IT assets

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https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/threat-prevention/what-is-malware/ https://www.cm-alliance.com/cybersecurity-blog/top-10-biggest-cyber-attacks-of-2024-25-other-attacks-to-know-about https://www.cm-alliance.com/cybersecurity-blog/top-10-biggest-cyber-attacks-of-2024-25-other-attacks-to-know-about

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Traditional Security Measures Are No Longer Enough Employees working from home or other remote locations present unique security risks that traditional security tools are often ill-equipped to handle. Here’s a closer look at some of the top security challenges organizations are now facing with hybrid work environments:

Home networks do not provide adequate security Remote workers often connect to corporate systems via home networks that lack the robust security of office environments. Personal routers may have weak passwords and infrequent updates, leaving them vulnerable to intrusion. Without proper defenses, compromised home networks become an easy target for cyber criminals to access sensitive company data.

A VPN is not sufficient security While VPNs secure remote connections by encrypting internet traffic, they fail to provide comprehensive protection. VPNs don’t offer advanced threat detection for emerging risks like malware or phishing, and they lack visibility to monitor suspicious activities or vulnerabilities. Even with a VPN in place, privileged resources remain vulnerable to attacks.

The Cloud and Cloud edge are becoming more vulnerable As organizations continue to migrate to the cloud and adopt edge computing, securing these environments becomes increasingly problematic. Misconfigurations and incorrect settings can leave cloud systems vulnerable to attacks, with Non-Human Identities (NHIs) like service accounts and API keys presenting a significant risk. These poorly secured identities can be exploited to bypass traditional security layers, giving hackers deep access to critical systems. The rise of edge computing—where data is processed on remote devices and IoT endpoints—introduces additional challenges.

Additionally, many edge devices lack proper physical security, increasing the risk of theft and tampering. Managing these devices at scale is also difficult for IT teams, making it harder to ensure they are up-to-date with necessary security patches.

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Email is a security weak point for phishing attacks Email remains one of the most common attack vectors for cybercriminals targeting remote workers. Phishing emails, which trick employees into revealing sensitive information, are a growing concern. Remote workers, often with less IT support, may not be as vigilant about identifying malicious emails, making them prime targets for phishing and malware. Businesses need robust email security systems powered by AI to detect and block even the most sophisticated attacks.

Security teams have limited visibility into remote activity Securing a remote workforce is challenging due to limited visibility into user activity. In office settings, IT teams can easily monitor network traffic and behavior, but this becomes difficult when employees work remotely. Without real-time monitoring, security teams struggle to detect issues like unauthorized access or data theft, increasing the risk of undetected breaches.

Organizations lack consistent security policies Maintaining consistent security policies across all devices and locations is another challenge. Company-issued laptops may have updated security patches, while personal devices used by remote workers may not, creating gaps in protection. This inconsistency increases the risk of data breaches, especially if sensitive information is accessed or stored across different environments. Additionally, data transfers between home networks and company systems can expose the organization to data leakage if encryption and access controls are inadequate.

Check Point Named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Email Security Download the report

https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/threat-prevention/what-is-phishing/ https://emailsecurity.checkpoint.com/resources/reports/2024-gartner-magic-quadrant

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Adapting to the New Security Realities of Hybrid Work The world has become hyperconnected, with billions of internet users and connected devices, ubiquitous mobile access, and the rapid expansion of AI all woven together.

Protecting against threats in our hyperconnected world requires solutions that harness automation and AI to protect across a wide threat landscape and give security leaders the visibility and control they need to keep their organizations safe. Traditional security tools like VPNs and basic firewalls are no longer sufficient—every device, every connection, and every endpoint must be safeguarded.

Securing a hybrid workforce requires more than just individual security solutions. It necessitates a holistic, integrated approach— a hybrid mesh strategy—that covers all aspects of network, data, device, and user security.

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Here are four ways to help you architect a comprehensive hybrid workforce security strategy:

Adopt a Zero Trust Approach

Ensure that every user, device, and application is

verified before gaining access to corporate

resources, regardless of location or network.

Leverage SASE for Unified Security

Combine network and security into a single platform to reduce

complexity and improve visibility. SASE offers the

flexibility to secure remote users, cloud environments, and on-premises resources.

Prioritize Email Security

Since email is the most common attack vector, it’s

essential to implement robust email security

measures to defend against phishing, malware,

and data leaks..

Continuous Monitoring and Threat Detection Implement continuous

monitoring to track user behavior and network activity, enabling quick detection and response

to security incidents.

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What is SASE? Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a modern cybersecurity framework that combines network security and wide-area networking (WAN) services into a single, unified platform. For businesses with a hybrid workforce, SASE offers a way to secure remote access, protect data in the cloud, and enforce security policies regardless of where employees are working.

Key components of SASE include:

Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN): SD-WAN technology optimizes network traffic, providing secure and efficient connections to remote workers, regardless of their location.

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): A Zero Trust model ensures that every user, device, and application is verified before being granted access to corporate resources. This approach assumes no implicit trust, even for users on the internal network.

Cloud-Native Security: SASE integrates cloud-based security services to offer fast deployment, scalability, and flexibility. Security features like Secure Web Gateways (SWGs), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs), and Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) are built into the SASE platform.

Advanced Threat Detection: SASE offers real-time visibility into network activity, enabling the quick identification and response to emerging threats.

https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/network-security/what-is-secure-access-service-edge-sase/ https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/network-security/what-is-sd-wan/ https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/network-security/what-is-zero-trust/ https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/network-security/what-is-secure-web-gateway/ https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/cloud-security/what-is-casb/ https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/network-security/what-is-next-generation-firewall-ngfw/

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SASE is a Critical Component to Securing the Hybrid Workforce As businesses embrace hybrid work, the need for a flexible, scalable, and comprehensive security solution becomes more apparent.

SASE provides:

Unified Security and Networking SASE combines network and security functions, offering a simplified, cloud-based solution that reduces operational complexity. IT teams can manage network security and user access through a single platform, improving efficiency and visibility.

Consistent Protection Across Devices and Locations Whether employees are working from home, the office, or a remote location, SASE ensures consistent protection across all devices and applications.

Improved Threat Detection and Response By centralizing security functions, SASE provides better visibility into network activity, enabling faster detection of suspicious behavior and the ability to respond in real-time.

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Protecting Hybrid Workforces with Check Point Harmony SASE and Email Security

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Harmony SASE: The Next Evolution of Hybrid Workforce Security Check Point Harmony SASE is designed to meet demanding needs of the modern hybrid workforce, offering a unified, cloud-based solution that integrates workspace security and network optimization. It is the best solution to provide comprehensive protection and seamless performance for both remote and in-office employees.

Harmony SASE offers key capabilities to enhance both security and performance across your network. With Hybrid Internet Access, employees can securely access the internet while benefiting from on-device malware protection and web filtering without sacrificing performance. This includes 10x faster browsing thanks to on-device inspection, accurate localization, improved user privacy and compliance, and comprehensive protections like web and DNS filtering and malware defense.

The Full-Mesh Private Access feature enables granular, secure, Zero Trust access for any user, site, or resource, ensuring robust protection throughout the organization. It applies an identity-centric Zero Trust access policy, accommodates employees, third parties, and branch offices, and delivers high performance with a full mesh global private backbone. Seamless deployment and intuitive administration are also key highlights of this offering.

https://www.checkpoint.com/harmony/sase/ https://www.checkpoint.com/harmony/sase/private-access/

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With SaaS Security, you can protect your entire SaaS ecosystem by mapping it, identifying gaps, minimizing the attack surface, and ensuring comprehensive security.

Additionally, our Secure SD-WAN optimizes routing for over 10,000 applications and users, features auto-steering based on link health such as latency and packet loss, and provides sub-second failover to any WAN link, including MPLS, 5G, and broadband. Zero-touch provisioning with full branch-level security makes implementation easy and efficient.

Key Customer Benefits • Full-Mesh Connectivity

Secure, reliable access is guaranteed for all users—whether working remotely or on-site. Harmony SASE connects your workforce to both cloud-based and on-premises resources with ease.

• Superior User Experience Harmony SASE provides secure remote access without compromising network performance.

• Reduced Operational Complexity Simplify your security and network management by centralizing control in a single platform, reducing the need for managing multiple disparate security solutions and streamlining your operations.

• Single-vendor SASE Solution Harmony SASE offers an unmatched experience for both users and administrators, consolidating your network and security needs into one seamless solution.

Read The IT Manager’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Free Time Download the guide

https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/cloud-security/what-is-saas-security/ https://www.checkpoint.com/resources/guide-b23d/solution-brief-the-it-managers-guide-to-reclaiming-your-free-time https://emailsecurity.checkpoint.com/resources/reports/2024-gartner-magic-quadrant

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Harmony Email Security: Defending Against Email-Based Threats For hybrid workforces, email remains one of the most critical points of vulnerability. Harmony Email Security is specifically designed to defend against the most sophisticated email-based threats, such as phishing, malware, and data breaches. Harmony Email Security utilizes advanced AI to ensure that your organization remains secure, no matter how employees access email.

Harmony Email offers a range of advanced security features designed to simplify and strengthen your defenses. With Unified Quarantine, you can save time and streamline security operations by managing quarantined emails from both Microsoft and Check Point in one central dashboard. This unified view allows you to easily take action on potential threats.

The Account Takeover Protection automatically detects and blocks unauthorized access in real time, featuring adaptive false positive filtering, historical breach detection, and proactive prevention to keep your accounts secure.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) protects sensitive data by allowing you to monitor and control the flow of information in and out of your organization, preventing both accidental and intentional data leaks before they can occur.

Harmony Email also features a training tool to ensure staff stays attuned to email threats. The AI-Powered Phishing Training helps refine the skills needed to handle emerging threats through role-based phishing simulations.

https://www.checkpoint.com/cyber-hub/threat-prevention/what-is-data-loss-prevention/

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Key Customer Benefits • AI-powered Phishing and Malware Protection

Using cutting-edge AI and NLP, Check Point’s Harmony Email Security blocks more than 99% of phishing attempts, including evasive and sophisticated attacks, to keep your organization secure.

• Complete Email Cyber Security Harmony Email Security protects your cloud email from zero-day threats, compromised QR codes, malicious attachments, and more, ensuring comprehensive coverage for your organization.

• Extend Protection to Collaboration Suites Harmony Email Security doesn’t just protect email, it ensures that your collaboration tools—like SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Google Workspace, and Slack—remain safe from malware, malicious files, and data loss.

Check Point Email Security is Trusted by 30,000 Enterprises and Growing

Conclusion The hybrid workforce is here to stay, and businesses must adapt their security strategies to address the unique risks it brings. By leveraging a unified security framework like SASE, combined with advanced email security solutions like Harmony Email Security, organizations can protect their data, users, and networks against the evolving threat landscape.

Secure your hybrid workforce and ensure business continuity by investing in integrated solutions that provide consistent, cloud-native protection for users wherever they are working. The right security architecture will not only help mitigate risks but also enhance operational efficiency, allowing your business to thrive in an increasingly distributed world.

Learn how to secure your hybrid workplace with Check Point. Get a Free Demo Perimeter 81.

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Traditional Security Measures Are No Longer Enough Adapting to the New Security Realities of Hybrid Work What is SASE? SASE is a Critical Component to Securing the Hybrid Workforce Harmony SASE: The Next Evolution of Hybrid Workforce Security Harmony Email Security: Defending Against Email-Based Threats Introduction The Growing Complexity of Remote Work Security Traditional Security Measures Are No Longer Enough Adapting to the New Security Realities of Hybrid Work What is SASE? SASE is a Critical Component to Securing the Hybrid Workforce Protecting Hybrid Workforces with Check Point Harmony SASE and Email Security Harmony SASE: The Next Evolution of Hybrid Workforce Security Harmony Email Security: Defending Against Email-Based Threats Conclusion

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