As organisations prepare for what life looks like in a post-pandemic world, one of the many issues they’ll have to address is IT security for home workers. A remote workforce comes with myriad dangers, with employees relying on their home networks – and sometimes their own devices – to complete tasks. And you better hope they have technical skills, because should they experience any technical issues, there’s only so much your IT team can do to help.
If you’re among the organisations giving employees that choice, you must take the time to review whether your remote working practices are suitable. You may have escaped unscathed so far, but it only takes one mistake for disaster to strike.
Many employees are using their personal devices for two-factor authentication, and they may well have mobile app versions of IM clients, such as Teams and Zoom. These blurred lines between personal and professional life increase the risk that sensitive information will fall into an insecure environment.
Another threat that remote workers face is the possibility of attackers sending phishing emails. These are scams designed to fool people into handing over your details or downloading a malicious attachment containing a keylogger. The dangers of phishing should already be a top concern, but things are especially perilous during the coronavirus crisis.
To protect against this risk, all work where possible should be done on a company laptop subject to remote access security controls. This should include, at the very least, two-factor authentication, which will mitigate the risk of a crook gaining access to an employee’s account. This ensures that the necessary tools are in place to defend against potential risks, such as anti-malware software and up-to-date applications.
It also gives your IT team oversight of the organisation’s IT infrastructure and allows it to monitor any malicious activity, such as malware and unauthorised logins.
According to CISCO’s report, 52% of respondents said that mobile devices are a major challenge when it comes to cyber security.
Online work increases cyber security risks
Without the security protections that office systems afford us – such as firewalls and blacklisted IP addresses – and increased reliance on technology, we are far more vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
The most obvious risk is that most of our tasks are conducted online. After all, if something’s on the Internet, then there’s always the possibility of a cybercriminal compromising it.
Your Cloud documents, emails and attachments, instant message clients and third-party services are all vulnerable – and with so much information being shared digitally, your attack surface has grown much wider. Some key issue are listed below that must be addressed:
Cyber security is a major concern for most modern businesses. If your operations depend on digital processes, data and systems, your business may be vulnerable to a whole range of cyber security risks
Cybercrime can affect anyone, from sole traders to large corporations. All businesses regardless of their size should take basic steps to protect themselves and their customers online.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that allows cyber criminals to take control of your business data or computer systems. It locks or encrypts your files, making them inaccessible, and typically requires you to pay a ransom to regain access to your system.
Ransomware is potentially a serious threat to business. Attacks are largely indiscriminate, usually very disruptive and recovery can be slow and costly. As well as financial losses, your business may suffer:
- loss of data
- loss of productivity
- reputational damage
- potential legal penalties for breach of data security or data theft
IT Security The more your business relies on IT, the more important it is to identify and control the risks that could affect your IT systems. Threats ranging from equipment failure to malicious attacks by hackers have the potential to disrupt critical business systems or open up access to your confidential data.
Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are convenient, cheap and easy to install. They allow for mobility around the office and deliver great flexibility. However, all WLANs potentially have major flaws and weaknesses.
Contact us here or call 01292 676063 to discuss.
