VCIO guidance on managing your credit union’s remote workforce

Remote workforce technology like virtual private networks (VPN) is nothing new for most financial institutions, though the technology has been primarily viewed as a secondary channel for working. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a new reality upon most businesses, requiring the adoption of a new perspective on how we work.

The Race to Standup VPNs

As businesses faced the reality that most, if not all, employees and peers were going to be forced to shelter in place, the sudden need to implement or expand VPN access was a logical reaction. However, this proved to be a frustrating exercise for many institutions.

Financial institutions faced several challenges as they worked to provide their employees with VPN access. The rush to acquire laptops created a supply issue, and the sudden demand created a backlog for many IT departments and vendors working to configure new laptops. There was also the issue of remotely teaching employees, some of whom were not familiar or comfortable with the laptop formfactor or connecting to a VPN, how to do so while working remotely.

 

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