How Remote Working Increases Cybersecurity Risk
And how you can boost your cybersecurity in response.
Hybrid working is here to stay. That's great news for mental health, overall productivity, and reducing your carbon footprint – or if you've got shares in a major sweatpants manufacturer. But it's not so great news for cybersecurity.
Think about it: what's more secure, a prison or a campsite? Not that we're calling offices prisons, but they do have the advantage of great big hard-to-penetrate firewalls all around them. So the question is, how can you embrace the advantages of the hybrid future while mitigating your cybersecurity risk?
The managed IT services approach to remote cybersecurity.
The biggest cybersecurity threat from remote working comes from the need to let external devices access your precious, firewalled data. After all, your at-home employees need access to this data to do their work. But in order to let some external devices access the data, you need to create an opening to do so – and when you create an opening, you have a weak spot hackers can potentially exploit.
Whether they’re breaking in using their own devices or hijacking your employees' devices to do the deed, this isn't good news for you. That's why when we deliver our managed IT services to clients with remote workers, we use a combination of SASE and ZTNA methodologies to combat both threats:
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
SASE provides secure and fast access to applications and data from anywhere by leveraging a cloud service. This is a simple, robust, scalable, and flexible solution adaptable to almost any situation.
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
ZTNA is a more discriminating approach which grants access to secure data based on the identity of the user and device. Essentially, ZTNA prohibits access to any data beyond the bare minimums employees need to do their job.
SASE and ZTNA work well in tandem, with SASE focusing on holistic security while ZTNA focuses in on individual access points. Think of SASE like the wall around your data disco, and ZTNA as the bouncer checking everyone's ID first.
What can your employees do to boost cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity functions best when everyone plays their part. With a little education, your employees can boost their resilience to threats without making drastic changes to their work habits. Here are four simple tips your team can start implementing right now:
1. Use a Password Generator
Use a dedicated app to generate a secure password, and store that password in a separate encrypted app – not on a sticky note in view of your webcam.
2. Change Your Password Often
You just paid for a password-generating app, so use it as often as you can. Changing your password monthly is a great habit to get into.
3. Install Additional Security Tools
"Don't fight your employer when they want to put security tools on your device!" says our COO, Julian Gelfand, “Even if you’re technically inclined, hackers are getting better every day thanks to AI. In most cases, your employer doesn’t care what you’re doing on your computer – they just want to keep you and their data safe.”
4. If You're Unsure, Ask
If you get a weird phone call asking for private information or an email filled with attachments, don't start double clicking or sharing your personal details. Get in touch with a trusted IT team member through a trusted platform like Microsoft Teams and ask for their opinion first.
