Kaspersky study says small companies are more self-sufficient

01/15/2021 12:13:26 AM

It's interesting to see those small companies are quite self-sufficient than those in large ones, eh? 

That's according to a recent Kasperksy study wherein a large gap in support expectations become evident in social and additional benefits, citing the likes of covering internet or phone bills. Specifically, 41% of small company employees would like more support with this, in comparison to 47% among those working in medium-sized businesses. 

The same pattern is true for required technology support, like helping to provide the right equipment and IT tools (35% compared to 41%). The said results may be due to the fact that it is more common for people in small organizations to arrange their own working environment, use personal devices for work and take care of access to work services.

The study also cites the need for emotional or psychological support to such the same extent for all businesses: 23% across small organizations and 25% across bigger ones. The impact of COVID-19 has not only affected people’s work and daily lives but has also caused anxiety for their own health and that of their loved ones, as well as overall optimism for the future. So, mental health support may be significant for any employee. 

Kaspersky's recent study, somehow, comes in relation to numerous findings wherein up to 90% of small companies based in certain countries have experienced a negative impact from the pandemic, such as drops in production, sales and revenues, and even complete closures. 

In companies with a dozen or fewer people, the way employees get through these challenges can very much impact the state of the entire business. Therefore, it is important for leaders to monitor how employees feel and supervise the consequences that this can have on their business.  

“People who have experience working in small businesses may feel more self-sufficient in the new working reality and this has helped their organization to concentrate all of their resources on survival. However, to maintain employee productivity and morale, it is still important to make sure that staff has all that they need for work. When it comes to their technology set up, employees need help to use IT securely even if working on personal laptops and managing access to all web services alone,” said  Ivan Salikhov, Product Manager, SMB Products at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky is recommending the following actions in order to facilitate remote working conditions for employees:

Open and honest communication is crucial for employees, as they seek cues from their managers on how to react to crisis situations. Organize “Ask Me Anything” sessions with the company’s top management so that they can talk to employees about how your business will continue working in the new circumstances.

Run surveys to understand the emotional state of your employees, their workload, if they have everything they need for remote working, and if they have clarity on the business processes. This gives a better understanding of specific circumstances people are in today and helps to make more balanced decisions.

Help your employees manage information overload and the feeling of being overwhelmed at this uncertain time. Keep your teams informed of the facts and current situation, as well as on how to stay safe and healthy.

Create HR and IT online communication channels so that everyone can easily solve their issues. Provide guidance for all employees on how to enable remote working and use certain software. It can be done through webinars or group calls. 

Educate employees to use basic security practices when working remotely, such as how to avoid becoming a victim of email or web phishing, or how to manage accounts and passwords. Kaspersky and Area9 Lyceum have created a free course to help staff work safely from home.

Adopt a cloud-based security solution. Even small companies should protect themselves from cyberthreats, regardless of whether employees work on corporate or personal devices. Kaspersky Small Office Security can be installed remotely and managed from the cloud; it doesn’t require much time, resources, or specific knowledge for deployment and management.

The full report titled Securing the Future of Work can be found through this blog post by the global cybersecurity company. 

Author: slickmaster | © 2021 The SlickMaster's Files