Remote security in a time of uncertainty
Our local government just issued a “stay in place” mandate requiring all local residents to remain at home unless you have a valid reason to leave, such as work, grocery shopping, emergencies, etc. Liquor store runs do not count as an “emergency”, but luckily the local wine shop delivers, as well as the Starbucks and Krispy Kreme donut shop next door.
Everyone I know is now working from home, with a few exceptions. While this seems like a simple change in work conditions – it’s not. I noticed my customers are contacting me now later in the day, and sometimes in the evening hours. I know what is happening, because they are telling me, it’s not that easy for them to get work done during the daylight hours, with kids running around the house or demands of loved ones, commitment to neighbors in need, etc., so they adjust their schedules accordingly. Makes for long days.
Most of the people I deal with in my business are system administrators, network architects, computer geeks, or IT management. They are all stressing out over the increased workload placed upon them to move their workforce home and give them access to company resources with little or no time to plan.
On top of that the network admins must open up their corporate infrastructure while maintaining strict security and privacy amidst the chaos. Imagine moving an entire company to another city – it’s worse than that – mainly because you would have had time to plan that move. This all fell on their shoulders in a day and they had to react.
I sit here writing this post knowing my friends in the IT world are out there burning the midnight oil, tirelessly trying to help keep the economy going while not accidentally leaving a door open for network raiders, and pending tragedy. That cannot be easy, dead on your feet after working endless hours and not make any mistakes. Time will tell how successful they are.
We should be grateful these midnight IT cowboys are out there making it happen, because they are some of the unsung heroes during this Covid-19 spring outbreak. They are helping to keep our businesses alive, our workforce employed and our networks secure while allowing people to work from home, safe from the virus.
Hats off to all the IT staff out there plugging away tonight and every night during this crisis. Good thing the liquor stores deliver. Judging by the shape of things, we are all going to need coffee and donuts, or maybe something a wee bit stronger to get us through this nightmare.
– TK in quarantine.
