The world’s largest companies are leveraging technology to navigate workplace flexibility, return-to-office (RTO) strategies and organizational culture. The success of these initiatives increasingly depends on how well organizations integrate technology to support new ways of working.

Several tech giants exemplify different approaches: Microsoft has embedded AI into productivity tools to enhance hybrid work, Google has tied its RTO policies to in-office collaboration technologies, Amazon is investing in AI-driven upskilling and Salesforce is using digital tools to facilitate flexible team agreements.

However, the link between technology adoption and workplace strategy extends beyond major tech firms. Organizations of all sizes are making critical decisions about where employees work and implementing technology to support their chosen models.

However, the issues they face aren’t always the most expected.

Shadow IT and security concerns

The best-laid tech plans can be diverted when workers default to their own tools and screens. Diversified, a global technology solutions provider, recently polled 1,600 U.S. employees, revealing that 89% admit to using personal devices or apps for work, primarily because they find them easier to use than company-provided tools. This creates potential cybersecurity and compliance risks for organizations.

The shift to remote and hybrid work has fundamentally transformed organizational cybersecurity approaches, according to Roddy Bergeron, a cybersecurity expert at the cloud consulting firm Sherweb. He says this dynamic has revealed how little employees understand about the network-wide impact of their actions on company-connected devices.

“Just one compromised credential—whether stolen through a phishing attack or leaked in a data breach—can give an attacker access to critical systems,” advises Bergeron. Once inside, attackers can move laterally across networks, deploying ransomware that locks out legitimate users and stealing sensitive information.

He reminds HR leaders that just a few years ago, companies primarily secured single-office networks where most employees worked in one location. Today, these same businesses must manage dozens or hundreds of individual environments, each introducing unique security risks.

‍

Read full article here.