Security Implications of the Return to Office: Risks and Considerations for 2025

The shift back to in-office work is accelerating. While hybrid and fully remote models remain in place for some organizations, many companies are increasing their on-site presence in 2025—whether due to operational needs, regulatory requirements, or cultural priorities.

With this shift comes new security challenges. Offices are reopening in a fundamentally different risk environment than before the remote work era, and security teams must adapt. Rising workplace violence, social engineering threats, and insider risks are converging with digital attack surfaces that have expanded after years of remote work reliance. At the same time, employees who have spent extended periods outside a corporate office setting may be less attuned to physical security risks than before.

Without proactive adjustments to physical security, access control, and cybersecurity policies, organizations risk exposing employees, assets, and sensitive data to unnecessary threats.

The Changing Security Landscape for On-Site Work

Security teams have long been responsible for hardening corporate environments against external and insider threats, but the return to office introduces new dynamics:

• New social engineering attack vectors: Employees accustomed to remote work may be less vigilant about in-person threats. Attackers posing as contractors, vendors, or even employees can exploit relaxed access protocols.
• Access control blind spots: Hybrid work complicates who should and shouldn’t be in the office. Inconsistent schedules create challenges for security teams tracking building occupancy and potential unauthorized access.
• Workplace violence concerns: Threat actors—whether disgruntled employees, ideological extremists, or opportunistic criminals—may target corporate offices, requiring updated emergency response measures.
• Hybrid work cybersecurity risks: Employees continue to move between home and office networks, increasing the risk of data leaks, device theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information.

Security teams must approach the return to office holistically, addressing risks across physical security, workforce policies, and cybersecurity.

Physical Security Gaps in the New Normal

Many organizations are reintroducing employees into offices without fully assessing how physical security needs have evolved. A workplace that was secure in 2019 may not be in 2025.

• Tailgating and unauthorized access: Employees working in hybrid or flexible shifts may be more inclined to let unknown individuals into secure areas, assuming they are colleagues.
• Emergency response readiness: Many organizations have not conducted workplace violence or emergency evacuation drills in years, leaving employees unprepared in the event of an incident.
• After-hours security risks: With flexible schedules, employees may find themselves alone in the office later than before, raising concerns about personal safety in parking lots, lobbies, and elevators.

Security teams should reassess access control policies, visibility into building security gaps, and protocols for handling incidents—especially as bad actors look to exploit vulnerabilities.

Cyber Threats and Insider Risk in Hybrid Workforces

Returning to the office doesn’t eliminate cybersecurity risks—it changes them. Hybrid work environments have blurred the lines between personal and corporate security, introducing new attack surfaces:

• Expanded attack vectors: Employees may bring compromised devices from home into corporate networks, exposing internal systems to malware, unauthorized software, or unsecured credentials.
• Social engineering risks: Impersonation scams are shifting from digital to in-person tactics, targeting employees who may not question an unfamiliar “vendor” or “colleague” gaining access to restricted areas.
• Data exposure risks: Employees may leave sensitive information unattended in shared workspaces—whether in the form of printed documents, whiteboards, or unlocked workstations.

Security teams should update cybersecurity awareness training to reflect hybrid risks and ensure network monitoring extends beyond traditional endpoints to account for remote and in-office work patterns.

What Comes Next? A Strategic Approach to Workplace Security

Security teams can’t afford to assume pre-pandemic workplace security models are still effective. Organizations must:

• Conduct updated security assessments that consider new physical security gaps, cyber threats, and workplace violence risks.
• Strengthen employee security awareness to address physical and digital social engineering threats.
• Enhance real-time intelligence monitoring to detect threats before they escalate—whether it’s tracking online discussions about potential workplace violence, identifying emerging cyber risks targeting corporate offices, or staying ahead of geopolitical threats that could impact business operations.
• Refine security policies based on evolving risk factors, ensuring that access control, emergency response, and data protection measures align with the realities of today’s hybrid workforce.

A structured approach to return-to-office security is essential—and to help security teams navigate this transition, Flashpoint has developed a Return to Office Security Checklist with best practices for securing the modern workplace.

Download the checklist now to access detailed recommendations on physical security, access control, and cybersecurity measures.