Human behaviour is one of the main causes for information security failures, but these can largely be offset by the right kind of working environment. This is an area where Spacent is building extensive standards with our space providers. Visibility blocking to screens (both in layout design and furnishing), phone booths for phone calls, private offices, lockers, and soundproof meeting rooms are already typical amenities that improve the physical part of information security. Also, processes of the hosts are crucial, like lobby services that are keeping control of who is accessing the location, knowing the people that are visiting, and ensuring safe lost-property practices.
2. Connections
Data security has been tricky in shared offices and public places. Unprotected wifi and criminal phishing activities have, for a good reason, made working with unknown wifi connections banned in many organizations. Even when working from home, the connection security has been problematic. But even the organizations with the highest security standards have made great efforts to enable working from home possible during the pandemic, thus enabling secure working (VPN, etc.) from even unknown networks. Also, constantly growing connection speeds (e.g. 5G) will ease using your phone as the connection hotspot which enables better predictability for corporate security.
3. Corporate policies
While using third locations as part of the workplace strategy brings clear benefits for many individuals and organizations as a whole, the policies of companies need to be clarified to support hybrid working. What kind of tasks employees have to avoid using third locations? What tasks are possibly even prohibited? What equipment is needed and what kind of cybersecurity protocols to use? Most of these are at the same time relevant for working from home.
4. Sharing space with partners and clients
Lots of companies are considering ways to decrease space costs by sharing their own corporate offices with partners and clients. This will come with a reward of engaging partners better but also with an emphasis on information security. With layout and access control, security zones (e.g. public, semi-public, enclosed) are a basic way of improving security. Controlling availability to different user groups is also crucial for efficient space sharing. All previous themes (physical information security, connections, corporate policies) apply here as well.
