Since the lockdowns continue, many businesses have remote employees which is becoming the new normal. Unfortunately, there are cyber security risks you need to be aware of to protect your network and assets. In the home environment employers lose physical security controls. An in-house IT department has more direct access over Internet networks, permissions and assurance that the person accessing the device is in fact the employee.
Security on home wi-fi networks
When employees are working in the office, the IT department has contrived the surroundings and network to align with security best practices, but when an employee is working remotely that’s not completely possible. When it comes to wi-fi network security, home networks typically have weaker security protocols, giving hackers access to the network and in turn some degree of access to your authorised company device.
Phishing is on the rise
Phishing and ransomware attacks are continuing to grow and are a common cause of breaches. Without a supervisor, or others to check in with about an odd email, social engineering takes over and can lead employees not thoroughly questioning the authenticity of an email, leaving them vulnerable to click on malicious links or downloading files.
Insecure passwords
It’s important for organisations to establish strong password requirements and policies, to prevent employees from falling into bad habits that leave the network at risk. While you don’t have the IT department there to stand over the employee and monitor their password behavior, it’s important to regularly communicate with employees about having strong passwords, requiring unique passwords for different accounts, and implementing a Password Manager to safely lock down all of those unique passwords.
If you’re unsure about the stability of your remote employee’s cybersecurity or need to handle the challenges posed by remote work, contact us today.
