Thanks to major advancements in technology, the modern workforce is no longer tied to a single location and is able to work from virtually anywhere in the world. This remote work revolution has changed lives, enabling employees to develop a healthier work/life balance and put their best foot forward, while employers enjoy the cost savings of not having to pay for physical office space and the ability to hire from a much larger talent pool. In light of COVID-19, remote work has taken on even greater significance, enabling businesses to weather economic uncertainty and workers to keep their jobs without having to put their health on the line. It’s safe to say that remote work arrangements aren’t going away any time soon — quite the opposite, in fact. That means that organizations need to figure out how to maintain security when employees work remotely.
Even under the best of circumstances, remote work can present certain security challenges.
o Unsecured Wi-Fi networks: Accessing corporate data and systems from poorly secured public or home Wi-Fi networks could open up a corporate network to unauthorized access.
o Bring your own device: The increasingly common practice of using personal devices such as laptops or smartphones for work creates a proliferation of devices that may not adhere to corporate security protocols.
o Human factors: Human nature presents one of the largest security risks. Employees who lack an understanding of security risks may be susceptible to cyber attacks such as phishing scams. Or, distracted employees could unknowingly expose their login credentials in a public space.
o Lack of training: A lack of remote work security awareness and training. Employees who are not trained in security best practices are more likely to use weak passwords and expose their company to risks in other ways.
o Decreased visibility: When employees work in remote locations, the IT staff lacks visibility into the endpoints employees are using and potentially risky user behaviour.
