Cybersecurity for Remote Work: Best Practices and Challenges

Remote and hybrid work has become increasingly popular since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many companies still allow employees to work remotely, and while convenient, it is not without risk. There are many cybersecurity risks that must be considered and monitored. Over 20% of organizations suffered cybersecurity breaches caused by remote workers during the pandemic. Businesses and organizations should look for the best security for their remote workers to avoid a cyberattack.  

Cybersecurity Challenges in Remote Work 

While remote work has many benefits for employees and businesses, there are also many cybersecurity risks worth considering. Unauthorized access incidents have risen to 30% due to remote work incidents. Employees can still work remotely, but it is important to keep confidential information protected, even from afar. Here are some challenges to consider when dealing with remote work cyber security. 

Phishing 

The most dangerous threat to remote employees is phishing. Phishing is a tactic involving a cyber-criminal posing as a reliable source to gain access to private information. 

Email phishing attacks were the most common source of data breaches for remote workers. For remote workers, they sometimes find themselves being prime targets because they are outside the company firewall, making phishing scams more effective. Work-related emails should be heavily monitored for any potential threats. Businesses should ensure their remote employees are properly trained to report these types of emails to the appropriate cybersecurity or IT team.  

Weak Passwords 

Organizations with remote workers must ensure their employees' passwords are strong and secure enough to deter hackers. Your passwords might be the only thing standing between your business and a hacker. Weak passwords can give way to hackers and allow them easy access to private information. About 81% of hacking-related breaches stem from stolen or weak passwords. And yet, "123456" and "password" are still two of the most commonly used passwords of 2024.

It can be hard to monitor the security of employee passwords from afar, but technological advancements have made this easier than ever for remote workers and their cybersecurity teams. A strong cybersecurity budget ensures remote workers use password managers and multi-factor authentication to stop attacks before they happen. 

Unsecured Personal Devices 

While many companies provide dedicated work computers and devices to employees, that does not stop them from using personal devices to work when needed. These devices are often not as secure as company-provided computers. There can be ways to prevent this, such as enforcing rules and regulations against using personal devices for work-related tasks. A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy with Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions ensures all devices meet security standards like encryption and remote wipe capabilities. Automatic security updates should be enabled to reduce vulnerabilities. 

Weak Backup and Recovery Systems 

Having so many devices working remotely can make it challenging to ensure all devices have the backup and recovery systems needed to continue operating during an attack. Some data stored on remote workers' devices may not be covered under your businesses' systems. This puts remote workers at risk for a ransomware or malware attack and without the proper recovery systems in place, this can greatly disrupt regular operations.  

Unsecure Wi-Fi Networks 

Employees may be connected to unsecured Wi-Fi networks. This can include their own home networks or public Wi-Fi networks they may be using while working remotely. Hackers often lurk and search through insecure Wi-FI points hoping to gain access to files and other private data, through techniques like a Man-in-the-middle attacks. Using a Virtual Private Network (Virtual Private Network) encrypts connections, making stolen data useless to hackers. Ensure your employees cannot connect to unsecured sources or public Wi-Fi networks.  

Remote Work Cybersecurity Best Practices 

Now that you know the challenges of cybersecurity for remote workers, it is time to go over the best practices to prevent breaches and attacks. Here are the cybersecurity best practices for remote workers that your company should consider implementing: 

Perform Regular Software and System Updates 

Using outdated software on your systems is like leaving your doors unlocked in a bad neighborhood. Unpatched security flaws allow attackers to exploit outdated systems, leading to data breaches and ransomware attacks. Enforcing automatic updates ensures that security patches are applied immediately, reducing exposure to cyber threats. An outdated system is not just a nuisance; it can also be a ticking time bomb for your business. 

User Access Controls 

Not every employee needs access to all company data; providing too many permissions is a major security risk. If a hacker gains control of an employee's account, they can move laterally through your network without using different user accounts. The more access an employee has, the more significant the damage. Enforcing the principle of least privilege ensures that employees only have access to what they need to do their jobs. Performing regular audits on access levels helps prevent unnecessary exposure by revoking old permissions. Think of it like giving keys to your house, would you hand them out to everyone, or just to those who need them? 

Implement Multi-Factor Authorization  

Each work-related login credential should be reinforced with MFA (multi-factor authorization) to ensure each account is secure. MFA acts as an additional layer of security for important accounts. The more layers of security, the less likely a hacker can gain access to employee accounts and steal credentials.  

Utilize Password Managers 

Password managers are an effective and convenient way to safely store and share company passwords. Password managers make it easy for employees to create unique passwords without remembering and writing down each one. There are many options, such as ElePass, Dashlane, Keeper, 1Password, and so much more. Ensure you do your research so that you can choose the best one to suit your company's needs.  

Enforce Strong Passwords 

Ensure that your company has a detailed policy on how to create strong and effective passwords. Explain to employees that all passwords for various work accounts should be unique and difficult to figure out. Some password managers can help employees generate strong passwords that help to ensure all company and employee data is protected.  

Monitor for Shadow IT 

Employees often download unauthorized and often unsafe software and tools to make remote work easier, but these unapproved services can create serious security risks. Shadow IT refers to any technology used without the company's knowledge or approval.

The risk is that these applications, tools, and technology can sometimes bypass security controls and expose sensitive data. Educating employees on the dangers of unapproved software and implementing monitoring tools to detect unauthorized applications can significantly reduce risks. A software inventory of the approved software can be created to help prevent employees from downloading unapproved software.  

Install a Firewall 

Firewalls are great tools to deter hackers and cybercriminals. Firewalls are used to monitor network traffic as well as to discover and block unwanted traffic and sources. They are used to attempt to prevent most, if not all, unauthorized access to private networks, files, data, and more. 

Conduct Regular Risk Assessments 

By conducting regular risk assessments, it is easier for IT and cybersecurity teams to identify what areas to adjust or reinforce. As risks and tactics continue to evolve and become more complex, it is important to check all layers of security including firewalls and other protection systems in place.  

Offer Cybersecurity Training for Employees 

Training your remote employees to spot, avoid, and report cybersecurity threats is one of the most effective ways to prevent a hacking incident. They can be taught to watch out for suspicious emails, websites, pop-ups, and more.  

Employees can do many other smaller things to prevent severe data breaches. Employees can shield their webcams, exclude personal devices, utilize data encryption, use a VPN, and more. You should encourage employees always to take these matters seriously and report any suspicious activity.  

Protect Remote Workers with Castile Security 

Hackers love remote workers because they are easy targets. Remote work has become the new normal for some industries and it is important to ensure that employees, customers, and vendors are secure.  

Castile Security can help keep your business secure and provide training to employees to lower the risk of an attack. Unfortunately, remote work has increased the average cost of a data breach by $137,000. If your employees are not protected, you could be next. Let's fix that before it happens. Schedule a call with our cybersecurity experts today!