Your office is requiring people to return to in-person work. Now what?

"You actually end up with more security threats, from my vantage point, when there isn't a good employee experience because then they're trying to figure out, 'How do I get my job done in the face of all these challenges?' And that normally involves pulling in a bunch of other tools or using technology that isn't approved by the company."

"He suggested that the transition is a good time to review the standard build or the expected configuration for company devices. 'Get a good, clean image for every workstation you want in your company, and start with the computers that are coming back,' Warner said, adding that it may be a good time to invest in new hardware as well. Warner suggested that IT professionals should also consider revamping core policies around mobile device management, acceptable use, and privacy."

A growing number of employers are enforcing return-to-office mandates, with some expecting full five-day attendance by 2025. Perks alone will not overcome operational friction when employees return. Poor post-return employee experience can drive staff to adopt unapproved tools, creating shadow IT and increasing security threats. IT teams should inspect returning devices for malware, unpatched software, and outdated configurations, and consider fresh workstation images or new hardware. IT should also update policies governing mobile device management, acceptable use, and privacy to align with post-return operations and reduce security and compliance gaps.

Read at IT Brew