Despite the fact that workers are feeling productive while working from home, employers remain skeptical. In their eyes, productivity has decreased and thus they want their employees to return to the office. This confuses those who feel that their output is not only steady but, in some cases, better than before. Companies have numerous reasons for this opinion which all center around the issue of efficiency.

WFH has become a growing concern for many companies. Their primary worries are the security of their confidential documents and projects, as well as whether or not their employees are actually working during designated office hours. In order to combat these issues, some organizations have turned towards technological solutions such as software that tracks mouse movement; however, people have come up with creative alternatives like using mouse jigglers in an effort to confuse the monitoring.

Acknowledging that work from home is becoming the norm, Microsoft is exploring solutions to address security and productivity. They are currently in the alpha stage of the implementation of “proof of presence”. This verification system would be employed to ensure that the network is secure and that workers are following the necessary protocols. It would also monitor any activity by personnel. They would achieve this through biometric authentication through the use of a camera; a snapshot of the receiver is taken and then compared to an earlier photograph for verification. By doing so, it ensures that it’s really the employee on the other end of the screen. According to Microsoft this type of certification will make it difficult for someone to “step in and pretend to be the particular trusted entity” and it will protect sensitive information.

This type of system will allow you to access information in even less secure networks like internet cafes; because criminals will be unable to access the information unless they are you.  Microsoft is putting a lot of effort into the development of software to enable remote working, and they are taking every precaution to make sure that biometric data remains secure. These actions should be encouraging news for those who want to work remotely, as the company is actively creating technology to make it possible for all companies to embrace.