Employee Monitoring is the process of tracking employee activities such as app use, internet browsing, email communications, file transfers etc. An employee monitoring solution allows a business to keep an eye on its users so that they cannot put the organization in harm’s way intentionally or accidentally by leaking sensitive data, sabotage, fraud, theft or other miscreants.

The novel coronavirus has hastened a trend toward remote work that was already years in the making. Before the pandemic, many employees worked off-site at least once a week. Now that number is soaring, and PwC estimates that 72% of workers would like to continue working remotely even after the pandemic subsides. In many ways, this is excellent news.

Ransomware has been the scourge of cybersecurity and may have led to a recent death. Now it soon may get way more dangerous The threats to cybersecurity are constantly evolving. As security teams develop solutions to the threats, malicious actors change their tactics to keep chasing their ill gotten gains. After all, the Game is the Game. And the game keeps changing. In recent years, ransomware has been the weapon of choice for hackers looking for a payday.

For many organizations, the past several years have been defined by an unending pursuit of data privacy and cybersecurity. Prompted by a daunting threat landscape, new regulatory standards and increasingly onerous consequences, companies invested millions in securing their digital infrastructure as an all-in attempt to meet the moment.

Even before the Coronavirus pandemic turned millions of people into newly-minted remote workers, companies were already acknowledging a rapid shift toward decentralized workspaces. Not only are workers increasingly prioritizing flexibility, making remote work a selling point to attract top talent, but embracing decentralized teams broadens access to a global cadre of candidates.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the already-robust adoption rates for employee monitoring software. Prominent publications, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, have reported on this trend, and they have documented employees’ general unease about the practice. Indeed, even before employees were relegated to their homes, many were uncomfortable with the idea of invasive and unbridled digital oversight.

In 2020, agility is making a comeback. After running its course as a business buzzword, it has become an operational necessity for companies in every sector due to the novel coronavirus pandemic’s repercussions. Most prominently, this reality manifests in our workplace arrangements, as companies grapple with the efficacy and necessity of returning to work during a pandemic.

There was nothing in particular that should have drawn attention to the two individuals sitting for drinks at the bar in Reno. Just two old colleagues catching up over some drinks. But if someone had paid close enough attention (and perhaps spoke Russian), then they might have overheard that one of the pair was attempting to recruit the other into what was possibly one of the biggest ransomware operations to date.

2020 is a uniquely transformative year. Prompted by a global pandemic, we’ve been forced to change many things about how we live, work and relate. For most businesses, this means a rapid and comprehensive shift toward remote work. While more than half of all employees participated in a rapid transition to remote work, it’s clear that this is more than just a temporary change.

Disagreement is one of the defining trends of 2020. However, I think most of us would agree that this year hasn’t turned out to be the kind of year that many of us anticipated when we celebrated on December 31st. Difficulty abounds on many fronts, reducing our ability to operate with precision and excellence. For companies balancing concerns about employee health, adjusting to a new hybrid workforce, and responding to shifting consumer demands, the challenges are many.