With the covid pandemic last year, one of the big things that changed was how companies and agencies worked remotely. Along with that came underlet security to meet those needs.
One of the big things we noticed with Covid and the remote worker space changing dramatically, was a skyrocketing number of attacks on those remote workers. In fact a study out there found that in March 2020, when the pandemic forced most employees to work from home, ransomware attacks skyrocketed by 148% (VMware Carbon Black).
We actually assign and contribute this problem to very complex work environment. Employees started working from home and this changed and perplexed the way you should think about security.
We have a very clear solution for the remote worker space to protect them when they are working online. For those working from home we have best practices you can do right now.
Remote Worker Security Step 1: Virtual Private Network
We do ask remote workers to establish what we call a virtual private network. This is also known as a VPN. Remote workers must establish a home Wi-Fi security. This will encrypt any traffic coming from the internet and hacking will be diminished. They should also make sure that their home Wi-Fi security protocol is WPA or Wi-Fi protected access protocol, which is more secure than the standard WEP.
WPA has a stronger encryption than the standard WEP in that it uses one of the following technologies:
- Temporal key integrity protocol
- Advanced encryption standard
WPA also includes a really nice authentication support that is not found in WEP. We are always going to stress that data encryption is absolutely critical here.
Remote Worker Security Step 2: Password Security
We also ask remote workers to make sure that they enforce password security.
Password security for remote workers includes:
- Changing passwords regularly
- Not sharing passwords with others
- Using different formats for passwords across all their accounts
One of the easiest ways hackers gain access to work files is through a user’s duplicate password usage. Changing passwords and choosing random letters and numbers is one of the easiest and fastest ways to create security for a remote worker’s login.
Remote Worker Security Step 3: Antivirus Software
Together with ongoing antivirus model and software that they have to patch, remotely and continuously. Antivirus software can be useful for any remote worker using computers to run Windows, Mac, or Linux. When looking for a good antivirus software, be sure to look for ones that include automatic scan daily or weekly with live alerts. Anti-phishing and anti-fraud protection are common features of antivirus software to protect your computer and files from unauthorized access. Contact us today to ask us which antivirus software we use for all our clients to keep them safe!
More Workers Are Working Remotely
Even more than before, employers should to give extra attention to the security of their remote workforce and technology. When team members work from home, all of a sudden the company has a vast exposure showing its endpoint and communication.
“Cybercriminals are looking to take advantage of these situations. More attack attempts added to a growing number of remote workers equals a greater risk for the company and agency.”
Maurice Hailton, CEO & Managing Partner, Infinavate
If remote worker management and security is on your to-do list, your plan of action should be decided and laid out. Your entire organization can begin to be alleviating from the number of attacks and to close those security gaps you may have the sooner you start. Get in touch with us today to gain an edge against these attacks and protect your business.