Remote Working Thoughts and Tips

Thanks to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic, LogMeIn recently saw 300% usage increase due to teleworking.

As a reference – you may remember, we last covered the company in October when we broke the news on LogMeIn Bold360 Helpdesk Bringing

AI and the Future of Work to the Enterprise.

Ian Pitt, SVP &CIO at LogMeIn

We thought the company is in a great place to help provide tips and thoughts on how best to get through this rushed remote-working environment we find ourselves in. As a result, please enjoy a Guest Blog Post From Ian Pitt, SVP &CIO at LogMeIn below:

Organizations around the world have experienced a shared challenge over the past month – transitioning employees to work from home. After several weeks of what is arguably the largest experiment in full-scale remote work in modern-day history, several key lessons learned have emerged.

The first is the importance of a business continuity plan. From equipping employees with devices to ensuring remote access while maintaining compliance and security – there are many critical pieces to consider for keeping a company’s operations running from afar. While some organizations, like ours, were well-practiced in remote work and were set up to implement continuity plans seamlessly, many weren’t ready for this significant shift.

In the absence of company-issued devices, some had to quickly develop ‘zero-touch device delivery’ plans. And while collaboration tools have proven essential in keeping teams connected and foster productivity, many had to tackle quickly implementing these tools and onboarding teams. Above all, the coordination between IT, Security, HR, and Business Operations in continuity plans cannot be overstated. Seamless interaction and decision making among these teams is key to successfully execute plans.

The massive number of remote workers around the globe has also created unprecedented network traffic. IT teams have had to implement real-time monitoring in order to manage capacity and scalability. At LogMeIn alone, we have seen a 300% increase in the use of our remote access products, and video conferencing usage has spiked tenfold from 2020 norms. With this increase in network activity, also comes increased security risks. IT and security teams are continually tracking new user behavior while ingesting threat reporting on COVID-19 scams and threats. Security training and awareness programs that drive “cyber smart” behavior at home – from using strong passwords to avoiding phishing scams – are key to keeping employees and the organization secure.

Another unexpected challenge has been adapting to a new way of management. During other disruptions in operations, leadership would typically assemble a “war room” to tackle the challenges head-on. In this crisis, where leadership and operations teams are dispersed, we have been forced to create a “virtual war room.” This has certainly changed the dynamics and created the need for new processes and approaches.

As we move into the second month of this “new normal,” the challenges will continue to change. Organizations should focus on what can be done now and use lessons learned to bolster their remote work environment moving forward.


 

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