Remote Work Security: Challenges And Solutions

Did you know that the number of people working from home has tripled over the past three years? However, an unexpected side effect of remote work has been increased security breaches.

In this guide, we'll be going over some of the challenges of remote work security. We'll also discuss some solutions for keeping your work data safe.

Remote Work Security: Challenges

Remote work struggles with shared devices and networks, both allowing attacks to gain access to work email/VPN/log-in through the home email. This section will discuss the top security issues you should look for in more detail.

Unsecured Home Devices

When people work out of an office, they typically use secured devices and networks. Sadly, this is different when they work from home. When people work from home, they often use their personal devices.

Moreover, they may work in public wifi settings (like a coffee house). Both of these things represent significant cybersecurity threats to organizations. They're much more vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

The least you can do is educate your employees on the dangers of unsecured devices. Or, you can send your employee secured work devices that they should use instead of home devices.

Phishing Emails

Phishing emails rely on tricking or manipulating your employees to click on a link or open an infected document. This link or document automatically downloads software that will give the cybercriminal access to the individual's computer.

Sadly, these emails have become more sophisticated over time, so they remain a real threat to remote employees. To ensure that your remote team can effectively detect and halt attackers, providing them with comprehensive training is essential.

To take swift action and prioritize cybersecurity, consider enrolling your team in a digital cybersecurity course now. Alternatively, you can send them resources like these five common email marketing scams.

Weak Passwords

Regarding a corporate network, actual employees remain one of the biggest threats. Why? One of the primary reasons is their passwords. These days, employees have a million passwords that they need to remember.

Even when their passwords are strong (and they usually aren't), there's still the potential for hackers to steal them. When this happens, it can open up your entire system to security threats.

That's why things like multi-factor authentication are so important. It ensures that passwords aren't the only defense against these criminals.

Open Home Wifi Networks

Open-home wifi networks are mainly a threat if you allow remote employees to access a corporate network. Why? Because, like anything else, home wifi routers need to be updated to provide peak security.

Sadly, most people need to remember to update these routers. This leaves huge gaps in security that cybercriminals can use to breach the corporate network.

And as we mentioned before, it's even worse if your employees access a secure network on public wifi (like the kind found at coffee shops).

Unencrypted File Sharing

It's common to see companies encrypt files when they go to store them. However, it's much rarer to see them encrypt files when sending and sharing them with others.

That's a problem because remote employees share unencrypted, sensitive information all the time. The key is to look for file-sharing platforms that have encryption built-in. That way, no one is sharing unencrypted files ever.

Want to learn more about the other types of cybersecurity threats your company might face? Read this guide to discover all of them.

Remote Work Security: Solutions

So there are a lot of challenges facing remote work security, but there are solutions too. Most of these solutions, which we'll cover in this section, involve protecting you or your employees' devices. Make sure to check out the five pillars of cybersecurity, too!

Interested in getting the latest cutting-edge internet security solution that's fully automated and won't interrupt your administrative workload? Contact CyberCrucible today to learn more.

Get a Sliding Webcam Cover

Webcams are often a necessary part of remote work. Unfortunately, they can also be hacked easily by cybercriminals. This invasion of privacy has a reasonably simple solution. Simply install a sliding webcam cover to block your camera when it's not in use.

Use a VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is often necessary for remote workers to access the corporate network securely. Unfortunately, they're often vulnerable to backdoor entries by cybercriminals. You can prevent this by requiring multiple authentication methods to access the VPN.

Mixing Personal Use and Corporate Use

In a perfect world, remote employees would only use their corporate devices for their job duties. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. All too often, employees will also use their corporate devices for personal use.

This is a problem because hackers target these mixed-use devices. Once they have access to them, they can get your corporate files and passwords. That's why it's essential to ensure they only use specific devices for corporate use.

Beware of Email Scams

Email scams are one of the most common forms of cyber attacks. Why? Because most remote employees use their emails every day. Make sure that your remote employees are well aware of potential phishing scams.

That way, they can recognize the tell-tale signs when they encounter one. The best way to do this is with a cybersecurity training course.

Make Passwords Strong

A strong password might seem like a minor deal. But the reality is that it can work wonders against cyber criminals. We recommend following this guide for creating a strong password.

However, remember that more than a strong password is needed. That's because criminals often steal these passwords. That's why it's vital to implement protection like Cyber Crucible. We use things like MFAs to protect your passwords and sessions.

Pensive woman taking notes at a table with a laptop and cup of coffee

Secure Home Wifi

What is the first thing you should do when securing your home wifi? Make a strong password for the router. Also, make sure that nothing on your SSID can be used to identify you.

Lastly, make sure that the network encryption option is turned on. Consider updating your hardware too. The newer the wifi hardware, the harder it will be to hack.

Use Antivirus and Internet Security

Antivirus software is essential when it comes to remote work security. However, relying on employees to prioritize cybersecurity measures may only sometimes be reliable.

So, consider purchasing it for them on a business account. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding antivirus software. Cyber Crucible is an excellent solution for this because we offer affordable pricing. Make sure to check out our pricing page here.

Reduce the Risks of Remote Work

If you're planning to switch to remote work, you, as an employer, must be aware of the cybersecurity risks that come with it.

The fantastic news is that you don't need to bring on a whole IT team to stay protected. For example, our CyberCrucible solutions entirely automate identity theft, data theft, and extortion prevention. That way, you can focus on what matters.

Remote Work Security: Challenges And Solutions