With the benefits of improved flexibility, talent globalization, and work-life balance, remote work has transformed the business landscape but it also brings up serious data security issues. Given the increase in cyberthreats, it is recommended that organizations require more protection for remote working. One of the most discussed new developments in cyber security these days is working remotely or from home, which presents extra cybersecurity threats. Working remotely is usually less safe than working from an office since centralized organizations usually have more secure firewalls and access management overseen by IT security professionals.

 When employees work from home or remotely, they need to be made more aware of the possible risks of a cyberattack. It is usually remote workers who are most vulnerable because they lack the office-based IT systems designed to withstand such attacks.

Organizations must manage the many security risks associated with remote work to safeguard confidential data. When working remotely, organizations encounter challenges because they are susceptible to cyberattacks, which are usually brought on by lax security measures over personal devices and home networks. Strong security measures are crucial since employees are accessing organization networks from places other than traditional office settings. 

 How to Reduce the Risks of Security When Working Remotely 

Employee cybersecurity knowledge, clear procedures, and cutting-edge technologies are all components of a successful remote worker security strategies. 

Following well-established remote work security best practices can help remote workers stay safe and safeguard their organization and personal data. In this part, will look at standard cybersecurity advised procedures for safeguarding remote employees ;-

Fastly, using weak, insecure, or repurposed login credentials and passwords is one of the main risks to remote workers employed by organizations. 

Strong password policies for organization are the first line of defense against unwanted access. Promote the use of complicated and one-of-a-kind passwords for all accounts that may need several readily guessed simple combinations.

Secondly, because corporate Wi-Fi networks are shielded by secure firewalls that keep an eye on and stop unwanted activity, they are usually safe. 

On the other hand, remote workers might use unprotected Wi-Fi networks to access organization networks and systems. When you sign up for a free Wi-Fi network, the network owner receives all of your traffic and has easy access to your organization system login information. 

Advice on how to be safe when utilizing free Wi-Fi for remote workers: (i) When utilizing public Wi-Fi, be sure you are connecting to the correct hotspot. (ii) Encrypt your traffic using office VPN or a paid VPN if you have one; if not, avoid using a free one. Avoid free VPNs as they can be owned by hackers.

Thirdly, Remote workers who operate over unprotected networks run the danger of becoming targets of man-in-the-middle attacks. 

By intercepting data between the employee and the intended recipient, cybercriminals stop it from reaching its intended destination. 

Sensitive data could be stolen in such an assault without the owner's knowledge. Therefore, organizations should make encryption and virtual private networks necessary in order to preserve communication security and prevent Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks.

Fourthly, the usage of Shadow IT by remote employees. The term "shadow IT" describes how employees use unapproved software or services to address work-related issues without IT’s security consent. 

In order to decrease vulnerability, organizations should mandate that all stakeholders and employees who operate remotely use only software that has been approved by the organization. Strict policies that can control software usage should be implemented by organizations to guarantee that all tools utilized adhere to the bare minimum of security requirements.

Last but not least, Human error is typically the weakest link in cybersecurity defense, so training remote workers on how to recognize a likely danger and react to it helps reduce it. 

Hackers are particularly interested in untrained staff members who are unable to recognize phishing emails or securely handle sensitive data. Social engineering attacks, phishing schemes, and password usage should all be covered in training programs.

Ibrahim Sultan is Cyber Security Consultant. These are his personal views. He can be reached through email address: [email protected]