Are you one of those cool CEOs and business owners offering remote work to your employees? That shows you genuinely care about their work-life balance as well as the growth of your business.
However, we understand that both you and your remote employees face challenges in this model. We can list many of them. But here our focus is on cyber threats. And we also have
cybersecurity solutions for you.
Remote work or
Work from Home has gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote work is still the main working model of many organizations. The numbers of worldwide remote workers rise from 20 percent in 2020 to 28 percent by 2023. {Source:
Statista}
Top 7 Remote Work Cybersecurity Risks
If your working model is remote, you need to check the cyber security risks that can harm your business. You should hire cybersecurity experts or information security experts for effective cybersecurity solutions.
1. Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks are very common. Around 3.4 billion spam emails are sent on a daily basis (
estimated). Your employees working remotely can receive these emails asking them for their personal or professional sensitive information. The attackers will pretend to be someone else- such as a colleague. If your employees are not attentive, they can fall into this trap easily.
2. Weak Passwords and Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication
Your employees use company-issued computers for work if they come on-premises. These systems are protected with strong passwords. These systems are often further secured with multi-factor authentication. However, in the case of remote work, employees may be using their personal devices, which could have easy-to-guess passwords and weaker security.
3. Insecure Wi-Fi Networks
The Wi-Fi networks at company premises are highly secure and the IT team continuously checks its vulnerability. But remote work does not offer this level of security. Because generally your employees will be using public Wi-Fi for their work.
4. Outdated Software and Systems
Software updates at regular times are very important from a security point of view. Your remote employees might miss or delay the update. This can lead to outdated security patches. And the result will be your exposed system for cyber threats. Therefore, you should take cybersecurity solutions from time to time.
5. No Cybersecurity Training of Your Employees
It is easy to educate your employees with the best cybersecurity practices on-premises. As a business owner you may have done that as well by inviting some
information security experts for seminars. But remote workers may lack this knowledge and easily fall for scams.
6. Data Loss
Losing sensitive business data can be catastrophic. And there are more chances of data loss in case of remote work. Why? Because remote employees are more likely to use personal devices or cloud storage for storing business data.
7. Poor Endpoint Security
Remote employees often connect to the company’s server from different devices. Such as laptops, smartphones, or tablets. But what if these end points are not secured? They can be entry points for attackers.
How to Protect Your Business from Cybersecurity Risks
We have discussed potential risks for your business if your employees are working remotely. But here we are providing you with some cybersecurity solutions for each one of them.
For Phishing- Educate your employees and emphasize them to use email filters to block suspicious messages.
For Weak Passwords– Set a strong password policy. Make it compulsory to have MFA for all systems.
For Insecure Wi-Fi Networks- You should encourage your employees to use a VPN to have a secure connection between their device and the internet.
For Outdated Software- Set up automatic software updates.
For Lack of Cybersecurity Training- You can conduct regular cybersecurity awareness online training. You can hire cybersecurity experts for this training.
For Data Loss- You can implement automated data backup systems. You can also use encrypted cloud storage solutions to prevent data loss.
For Poor Endpoint Security- You should ensure all endpoints are secured. Make sure that your employees have updated antivirus software and firewalls.
Conclusion
Remote and hybrid mode of working is future. These models will continue to grow, and more organizations will opt for them. But with this, you also need strong cybersecurity solutions. It is very important to protect your business from cyber threats that can arise with remote work.
Act today and
hire cybersecurity experts to minimize vulnerabilities. Keep your business secure with effective cybersecurity solutions.
