4 Steps to Ensure Cybersecurity for Remote Workers

by Lalithaa

Over the past year, there has been a sudden, unprecedented shift to working from home as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, businesses of all sizes and in all industries have been forced to adapt and adjust the way that they work in order to ensure that they stay up to the challenge. And one of the biggest challenges for businesses in the process of adapting to this new normal is ensuring the security of business data when employees are working remotely. So, how can small to medium businesses keep on top of enforcing cybersecurity for remote work?

Outsourced IT

Working with an IT support company that has experience with companies that have remote working employees is key to keeping cybersecurity threats at bay during the COVID-19 crisis. Outsourced IT teams are highly experienced and knowledgeable and often much more budget-friendly for small to medium businesses compared to hiring an in-house IT team.  As a result, they will be able to safeguard your system against modern cyber threats. Using their extensive knowledge and vast experience, they can implement modern security solutions to protect your system, such as continuous offensive security service, penetration testing, and so on.  If you already employ in-house IT specialists, they may benefit from the backup and support of a dedicated company who are tasked with looking after IT for your company. 

Secure Access

The use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) has become increasingly more essential over the past year in order to minimize the cybersecurity risks from remote working. VPNs work by creating a secure virtual tunnel to another network or device, which makes it difficult if not impossible for anybody else to get access to a user’s browsing activity. They are a useful tool for remote working since they allow your employees to remotely access business data and resources from home. 

Social Engineering Awareness

Over the last twelve months, we have seen an increase in phishing and other social engineering attack attempts, many of which are directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. With more people working from home than ever before, hackers and other cybercriminals have wasted no time in trying to get employees to hand over sensitive data such as passwords and other login credentials. As a result, it’s more important than ever before for all employees to be fully trained and aware of what to look out for and how to prevent this type of attack. 

Physical Device Security

Today, a lot of cybersecurity measures are digital and can easily be applied to remote working in much the same way as they are applied in the office. However, it’s important to note that when employees are working from home, devices may be at a higher risk of threats such as theft and physical damage. Whether your employees have taken company devices home to work with or are using their own equipment, it’s important to have strong ground rules in place, such as avoiding leaving devices unattended and using strong passwords to access the device. Equipment should be shut down and stored securely when leaving the home and at the end of the workday. 

With more and more people working from home than ever before, businesses need to ensure that their cybersecurity measures are adjusted to the new normal too. 

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