What is Remote Work Security?

Working from home has become a norm worldwide since the onset of the pandemic. Per Owl Lab’s report, 56 percent of global companies are now fully remote or hybrid companies. Even in the new normal, remote work is projected to remain prevalent across multiple sectors.

However, while remote work setup can be convenient and flexible, this makes businesses more exposed to a range of cybersecurity risks. Knowing this, businesses must strengthen their security policies and protocols to advance their safeguarding measures against cyberattacks and data breaches.

Now, let us identify why remote work security must be a topmost priority for businesses as well as the risks and best practices around it.

Remote work security 101

Remote work security is the safeguarding of access to personal, company-managed, and web applications. This is also aimed at protecting sensitive and confidential data and applications against numerous threats such as data loss or corruption, untrusted remote access, cyberattacks, and data breaches.

Remote work security involves employing preventive and protective techniques and tools to avoid unauthorized access to databases, websites, and computers.

Top remote work security risks

Compromised remote work security entails many risks. These include the following:

Weak passwords – Human error comes into play when employees protect their accounts with weak password combinations. With this, hackers can easily penetrate an account or system
Phishing emails – Criminals lure individuals into providing sensitive information—baking, credit card, and password data—by posing as a legitimate source, usually over email.
Unencrypted file sharing – Unencrypted data, when in transit from one location to another, may be easily intercepted and obtained by hackers, resulting in identity fraud, ransomware attacks, and more.
Unsecured networks – Public and home networks may be unsecured since hackers can penetrate open networks and access data shared by users.
Poor backup systems – Without proactive maintenance schedules by IT security teams and a good backup system, security breaches can happen, leading to financial and intellectual losses.

Best security practices

Migrate your business apps to the cloud

Cloud migration means the transference of information, applications, and other intellectual properties into a cloud computing environment. This offers augmented safety levels as many clouds have built-in security features and specialized security tools to protect users’ resources. The cloud provider automatically does security patching, so users have peace when it comes to data protection. In addition to migrating to the cloud, your company can also strengthen security by utilizing secured online communication tools.

Some Cloud applications are Office 365, Google Drive, and QuickBooks Online. These have updated security features and functions that comply with industry regulations.

Utilize advanced security controls

Additional security layers have to be deployed for every remote worker. These layers include implementing 2FA for all users. This is basically a multi-factor authentication subtype in electronic systems. Multi- or two-factor authentication generally involves the credentials or password to log in to an account or sending of text messages or emails for further verification.

Another layer to also consider is Transparent Data Encryption or TDE. This can be used to prevent cybercriminals from circumventing data repositories and interpreting information right from storage. Big companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Oracle also actively utilize this to encrypt their database files.

Some protective ways to consider also include signing out employees when browsers are closed, disallowing password autocompletion, and restricting local network access.

Ensure that employees connect over VPNs

Virtual public network (VPN), like firewalls, is another good protection layer to consider for businesses with remote setup and with employees that use public connections. It essentially funnels a business’ IP address and data through another safe connection. This connection is found in between your internet connection and the actual website you seek to access. It basically protects online activities from third-party risks

Safeguard your data with DLP

DLP or data loss prevention is a cybersecurity solution that’s widely used by businesses to protect their data and comply with regulations. This offers a set of tools and techniques that aim to protect companies’ data from exfiltration, breach, loss, among others through its risk prevention and detection capabilities. DLP software can typically determine, tag sensitive data, classify, and monitor activities. It can also educate users about regulatory compliance.

Detection of suspicious emails and intercepting unauthorized actions such as illicit data transfer are among DLP software’s functions. For instance, should an employee opt to forward confidential data in an unauthorized manner, the action will immediately be blocked.

Formulate a holistic data security policy

It is crucial to be proactive in terms of security to future-proof your business. One best way to do this is to develop a security culture for your company. To live this out, ensure that you set all-inclusive and comprehensive policies in place as well as constantly train and educate your remote workers about security. Your set of policies should ideally include the following:

Admissible use of IT systems, software, and devices
General practices and regulations to ensure data security
Risk management, records control, and retention
Duties and responsibilities of employees for the safeguarding of confidential information
Backtracking data processing practices
Training and supervision of staff in handling crucial company data.

The bottom line

Proactively implementing measures to safeguard both your digital and tangible information can save your company from potential threats, financial and intellectual property losses, and even bankruptcy. Likewise, it is best to stay up-to-date with the state of cybersecurity in 2022.

Ultimately, consider these five best remote work security practices to ensure that your sensitive data, software, and applications have beefed-up levels of protection.