Abstract

COVID-19 is the new standard for forced changes in the workforce, forcing the adoption of remote and hybrid work environments globally. It was in the period of this rapid adoption of distributed work environments that new opportunities for flexibility and productivity were opened up, but fundamental weaknesses of conventional notions of cybersecurity were unveiled. As employees connect to company networks from a plethora of different places and different types of devices, situations were complex at the corporate level to ensure that security measures remained adequately stringent. New threats came to the fore, such as endpoint devices that have added more risks since they were unsecured home networks and the use of personal devices (BYOD). All these changes raised the concern of a new security model for the enterprise whereby new, fresh methods of dealing with the issue emphasize strategies which accommodate the change, and we affirm the need to put in place security architecture that will help protect the valuable enterprise assets. This paper looks at the new challenges of defending the widely dispersed employee base and offers an integrated solution for protecting the modern enterprise. To address risks inherent in the current working environments, the framework seeks to address concerns of identity-centric security and zero-trust and apply emerging technologies in threat intelligence. Using knowledge acquired by current cyber assaults and actual programs, the research provides numerous substantial approaches to countering current and potential cyber threats. The research also identifies the main recommendations for enterprises operating in this environment, including the need for active management of risks and constant adaptation to threats.