Remote work has to do with risk and reward. It offers many benefits, so much for employers and employees regarding flexible work schedule, bigger staff retainment and an improved productivity, and a general costs saving. Besides, according to the International Workplace Group report, 75% od respondents consider virtual work as a new normality.

At the same time, remote work leads to possible cybersecurity threats. If not detected, they can give place to a series of disastrous consequences for the reputation, incomes and the business relations with the interested parties.

Luckily, it is possible to mitigate such risks through the introduction of guidelines and wise procedures that board every “what if”.

Improve your cybersecurity practices for remote devices: why should it matter?

• Cybersecurity infractions have increased a 67% in the last five years. The most common dangers includes malware and malicious files, phishing and spear-phishing campaigns, SQL injections and man-in-the-middle attacks (MitM).

• Recent literacy in data breach investigation, reveals that 64% of the americans have never done any test to verify if it was affected by some data breach, and 56% said that they didn’t know how to face data breaches.

• One of three companies has faced cybersecurity incidents of different severity due to a non-secure remote employee.

• Recent studies show that only 27% of the business a using authentication devices from multiple factors (MFA) when accessing to any app.

• Like any other global crisis, COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of space for online attacks. A recent study states that cybersecurity problems have increased 6 times in the last few weeks, with over 2.000 websites obviously malicious with coranavirus-themed configurated daily.

• According to Open VPN, 93% of the respondant have a determined cybersecurity policy of data, that unfortunately it is implemented in a “configure and forget” fashion

What must i do to improve remote work security?

• Embed cybersecurity in the risk management framework or update it if you already have one.
• Inform remote employees about safety risks that may happen.
• Establish protocols in the whole company to prepare for a risk-free remote work.
• Allow your remote devices to access safely to corporative IT infrastructure from anywhere and anytime.
• Protect apps and devices from users regardless of being in or out the network.

Create and communicate remote work safety policy.

Having a business continuity plan with an integral part of IT assets management, is only half of the battle. What’s more important, is that every remote employee must know perfectly all the corporative safety procedures.

Consider to create practice guides for the new software that remote devices will use, and the existing software that will be used differently, although for you, it comes predetermined.

Besides, provide training about cybersecurity and always keep IT staff well equipped. Establish clear communications protocols from IT support so that the remote employees know who to turn to and report any cybersecurity incident and technical problems.