{"id":12455,"date":"2020-06-17T13:14:10","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T17:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/?p=12455"},"modified":"2021-11-19T13:14:42","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T18:14:42","slug":"put-your-risk-on-mute-using-pki-to-simplify-remote-workforce-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/put-your-risk-on-mute-using-pki-to-simplify-remote-workforce-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Put Your Risk on Mute: Using PKI to Simplify Remote Workforce Security"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With 74% of surveyed CFOs<\/a> saying they intend to move at least 5% of their on-site workforces to remote positions after the current pandemic, properly managed PKI is more important than ever<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Disney World may have closed its doors, but there\u2019s a new fantasy land that opened up and its making many hackers\u2019 dreams come true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of fresh-faced \u201cwait, I don\u2019t have a desk or chair at home; how long are we going to be out of the office; hey, you\u2019re on mute; sorry, my dog is barking\u201d employees suddenly need remote access to applications and networks from laptops, smartphones, and employee-owned devices.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means a more opportunities for malicious actors to target. So, how can PKI ruin their good time and help secure this new remote workforce?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s hash it out.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PKI Is the \u2018Meat and Potatoes\u2019 of Your Remote Workforce Security<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Public key infrastructure<\/a> (PKI) doesn\u2019t have fancy LEDs or logos on it. You can\u2019t walk into the data center and see how it was clearly worth the money the way it shines in your 48U server rack. But PKI is like that: it\u2019s quiet, unassuming\u2026 and 100% critical to your success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The enterprise security world is no longer just a firewalled network stack. \u201cZero Trust\u201d is what the cool kids are doing, and according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), PKI is a key component of a properly managed security environment.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can We Effectively Secure a Remote Workforce?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Globally, many employees have been deemed nonessential and organizations have shuttered brick-and-mortar office spaces. Consequentially, both employees and organizations see benefits in having a larger remote workforce on a permanent basis. There\u2019s a laundry list of studies done on remote work cost savings (probably a few funded by the global sweatpants manufacturer association) covering everything from office space to sick leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past few months, many IT departments have been tasked (with less than a week\u2019s time in many cases) with scaling networks and providing remote access to the applications and services that employees needed to do their job effectively. But are they secure?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some key weaknesses we can address right now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Passwords can be secure, but our minds less so\u2026<\/li>
  2. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is great \u2014 until it\u2019s not.<\/li>
  3. Strengthen security with certificate-based authentication tools:
    1. How certificate-based authentication works<\/li>
    2. What type of certificates do you need?<\/li>
    3. Automation of the certificate lifecycle is crucial<\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Let\u2019s go over each step in more detail\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Passwords Can Be Secure, But Our Minds Are Less So\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Passwords are the most well-known layer of internet security, but they\u2019re failing in several ways, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n