Forbes projects that 32.6 million people will be working remotely by 2025. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to remote work, and even as mandates have lifted, many employees continue to work from home. This shift to a more digitalized environment has heightened cybersecurity risks that organizations must address. In fact, 73% of executives cite security risks associated with remote work as a top concern—a valid worry given that the average cost of a data breach reached $4.45 million in 2023.
Cybersecurity teams are diligently implementing advanced measures to secure their environments, but as remote work expands, so do the challenges they face. The question now is: what specific risks should security professionals be most vigilant about?
Unsecure Networks and Personal Devices
As remote workers complete their jobs, they are often connecting to public Wi-Fi or home networks. Both of these networks can be unsecured prompting easy access for threat actors into your devices. Employees need to ensure they are connecting to trusted and secure networks.
Remote work increases the likelihood that employees will use their personal devices for emailing, messaging, and sharing company documents, including confidential files. This practice, known as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), has become increasingly popular. However, it raises significant concerns about what might be happening on these personal devices, as sensitive company information could be at risk of exposure or unauthorized access.
Phishing and Social Engineering Attacks
Remote workers are particularly vulnerable to phishing and social engineering attacks, as they often operate outside the protective boundaries of corporate networks and are more isolated from direct IT support. Threat actors exploit this situation by sending phishing emails designed to deceive employees into divulging personal information or login credentials. These emails are often carefully crafted to appear legitimate, mimicking trusted sources such as company executives, IT departments, or even well-known brands. Once an employee is tricked into clicking on a malicious link or entering their credentials on a fake website, attackers can gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems, steal confidential data, or deploy malware.
Weak Passwords
Even with robust security measures in place, weak passwords can easily become a vulnerability that threat actors exploit to gain access to an organization’s systems. As remote work continues to grow, the challenge of monitoring and enforcing strong password practices becomes even more pronounced. Employees working from various locations, often on personal devices, may not always follow best practices for password security, such as using complex, unique passwords for different accounts or regularly updating them. This lack of oversight opens the door for cybercriminals to launch attacks, steal sensitive data, or encrypt critical files, causing significant financial and reputational damage to the organization.
File Sharing
With the increased digital workspace, file sharing is a daily necessity for employees, especially remote workers. To protect these exchanges, many organizations enforce encrypted email policies, ensuring files remain secure during transmission. However, encryption practices can be inconsistent for remote workers, who may use personal devices or less secure networks, leaving files vulnerable to cybercriminals. As remote work increases, the risk of unprotected file sharing grows, making it essential for organizations to reinforce encryption standards across all environments. This includes extending encryption protocols to all communication channels, providing secure tools for remote employees, and educating staff on the importance of secure file sharing.
Expanded Attack Surface
As remote work grows, so does the attack surface, including home networks and personal devices used by employees. This expansion increases the challenge for security teams, who must now protect a broader range of potential vulnerabilities. Remote systems often lack the same security controls as corporate environments, making them more susceptible to threats. To address these risks, organizations need to enhance security protocols for remote work, provide secure tools, and offer regular training.
To learn more about attack surface and how to manage it, read our blog post on it: Understanding Attack Surface Management: A Comprehensive Guide
What can Organizations Do?
Creating defense measures will be a continuous fight against threat actors as their attacks become sophisticated, but there are some strategies that organizations can implement today.
Multi-Factor Authentication:
Require multi-factor authentication for accessing company systems and sensitive data. MFA adds an extra layer of security by ensuring that even if a password is compromised, additional verification is needed to gain access.
Enforce Strong Password Policies:
Ensure that employees use complex, unique passwords and change them regularly. Implement tools like password managers to help employees manage their credentials securely.
Provide Secure Communication Tools:
Equip remote workers with secure, encrypted communication tools for emailing, messaging, and file sharing. This helps protect sensitive information from being intercepted or compromised.
Regularly Update and Patch Systems:
Keep all software, applications, and devices up to date with the latest security patches. This reduces the risk of vulnerabilities being exploited by cybercriminals.
Ongoing Security Awareness Training:
Provide continuous security training for employees, focusing on recognizing phishing attacks, secure file sharing, and best practices for working remotely. This helps build a security-conscious culture and reduces the risk of human error leading to security breaches.
You’re not in this alone, CyberForce|Q is here for you.
CyberForce|Q has provided information security services for over 28 years. We architect and implement quantifiable cybersecurity programs for organizations of all sizes – with proven results. CyberForce|Q provides a wide range of services to a diverse group of organizations including government entities, educational organizations, healthcare entities, manufacturing enterprises, and both public and private organizations.
Every organization is unique, which is why we meet you where you are in your cybersecurity journey, and tailor our solutions to your needs. – reach out to solutions@cyberforceq.com.
Learn more about CyberForce|Q.
تعليقات