In the internet era, the majority of the world resides in virtual clouds. Businesses and organizations, especially ones with a remote workforce, have shifted their entire operations online. They upload everything, from employee personal details to sensitive client data, to cloud storage and share its access with their employees for smooth management.
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Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups.
The IT department cannot be the sole guardian of an establishment's cybersecurity. If employees fail to adhere to online safety measures, it can open floodgates for cyberattacks. To counter such issues, it is important to understand its crux first. This article examines why employees resist security policies and how businesses can create a secure, user-friendly work environment.
Why Employees Find Security Annoying
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1. Too Many Passwords, Logins, and Authentication Steps
Employees often have to juggle multiple passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA) codes every day. It is irksome and leads to password fatigue, i.e., stress and frustration from having to remember all the access codes!
Moreover, frequent authentication requests that erupt between tasks disrupt the workflow. This is taxing for remote workers who need to switch between devices.
Although this problem appears to be like a pet peeve, it can deeply affect a company's security level. Employees forced to log in multiple times a day get frustrated and use weak passwords or have them on a post-it on their monitor to simplify access.
2. Slow and Inconsistent Remote Access
Nothing can be more frustrating for remote workers than VPNs and traditional security layers that slow down work. The lag increases the time required to deal with a task and can affect employees' daily productivity. For instance, employees traveling internationally experience VPN lag and find it almost impossible to manage internet quality on Google Meet.
A poor internet connection can quickly test employees' patience, disrupting video call quality, slowing file transfers, and hindering the performance of cloud-based applications.
3. Security Blocks on Essential Tools and Websites
Strict security policies block harmless websites and cloud tools that employees need for work. To overcome such hindrances, employees find workarounds; they start using personal devices and unsecured networks.
For example, a company's outdated security restrictions can cut down its marketing team's access to essential design tools. This will lead the team to rely on their personal devices to regain access.
4. IT Support Overload Due to Security Issues
Outdated security settings can lead to login problems, often locking employees out of client portals. This can prevent access, even in urgent situations, disrupting workflows and delaying critical tasks. Moreover, companies with work-from-home employees also have to overcome remote network monitoring challenges.
Rigid security settings are a nightmare for employees, especially for those in the IT department. Due to the unnecessary blocks that they induce, employees frequently need IT support for access. This can cause burnout and fatigue in support teams.
How Businesses Can Improve Security Without Frustrating Employees
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Use Smarter, Context-Aware Authentication
Logins from trusted locations and devices should not require frequent identity verification. Replace obsolete authentication systems with Risk-based Authentication (RBA) that only triggers verification requests when it detects unusual activity.
This transition will ensure that an employee working from home every day receives fewer security prompts than someone logging in from a new location.
Replace VPNs with High-Performance Secure Access Solutions
VPN encryption and routing processes create bottlenecks that increase latency and slow down the internet speed. High-performance zero-trust-based secure access solutions provide fast and direct connections without compromising on speed.
Choose a high-performance ZTNA that does not require routing of traffic through a data center, allowing users to connect securely through edge networking and overcome packet loss — the biggest cause of connectivity issues.
Allow Secure Access to Cloud-Based Tools Without Obstruction
Archaic security solutions usually restrict employees' access to online applications that they may need for a task. Employees should be able to access work apps securely without needing IT approval for every new tool.
Businesses can eliminate restrictions to tools and websites with security solutions that provide visibility without disruption.
Automate Security Policies to Reduce IT Overload
AI-driven security can be used to create a secure virtual workplace. With its ability to accurately detect threats and trigger a quick response, it can efficiently perform repetitive security assessments without fatigue.
Companies can opt for such a facility to automate routine security checks and reduce the workload on their IT teams. For instance, if an employee forgets their password, an AI-based system can reset it securely without IT intervention.
Conclusion
Employees do not hate the idea of security. They hate slow, frustrating and inefficient security measures. Slow connections and unreasonable frequencies of verification requests disrupt their workflow. Further, since employees need to invest emotionally to deal with such annoyance, they start associating a negative emotion with security policies.
Businesses should prioritize user-friendly security that protects data without creating friction in employees' daily tasks. Otherwise, workers will abandon their responsibility to adhere to security guidelines and that will make the organization vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Cloudbrink's High-Performance ZTNA aims to resolve the dissonance between employees' objections to and businesses' need for security measures. Its modern services include AI-driven infrastructure, high-speed secure access, Automated Moving Target Defense, and reduced support tickets with increased employee satisfaction.