Journal of Science Policy & Governance
Volume 21, Issue 01 | October 17, 2022

Other: The Effect of COVID-19 on Remote Work Policies

Patrick M. Damon, II
Northcentral University, San Diego, California, USA; New York Genome Center, New York, New York, USA
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​Corresponding author: [email protected]​
Keywords: COVID-19; information security; policy; mobile device management (MDM)
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG210101​

Executive Summary

The climate for information security has drastically shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, information security focused on the purview of the office space and the physical infrastructure, with increased specializations in digital architecture such as the Internet of Things, cloud services, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Remote work was often discouraged due to ineffective mitigation strategies, especially when personal devices were involved. Remote work has become commonplace, and information security specialists must adapt to the changing environment. Effective information security policy management for a modern age will include effective mobile and remote usage provisions that maintain the same or similar workflow as on-site activities. Virtualization offers enhanced security for remote work while maintaining set routines.

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Background header image courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation
Patrick M. Damon, II (they/them/theirs) is an Information Security Analyst specializing in policy building, SOP development,  incident response, and security culture development.  They received their B.A. in Sociology from Fordham University in 2013 and served for 6 years as a Sonar Technician for the US Navy. They received their Masters in Cybersecurity Tech from UMGC in 2019 and are presently a doctoral candidate at Northcentral University. Patrick is a trans, non-binary, queer individual and was the first uniformed service member to march in the NYC Pride Parade in 2017.

​Acknowledgements
I thank Dr. Lyn Lazar and Dr. Frank Appunn for their support and continued guidance through my research.

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