Due to the worldwide epidemic, the number of remote workers has increased exponentially. Too many organizations around the world have reported that they are either mandating remote work or encouraging their employees to work from home as COVID-19 cases begin to rise.
Many employees say that with the pandemic, working from home is a completely new experience. Many of those who work from home say they usually, or almost always, take the cybersecurity advice given to them by their IT team.
According to 54 percent of respondents, in the 2020s quickly changing environment, most cybersecurity professionals surprisingly believed that security incidents remained essentially the same after shifting to remote work.
With so many new remote workers, staying safe at home has become a major concern for organizations. Everything from attacks to weak passwords can put your organization at risk. It is therefore essential to equip employees with the necessary tools and knowledge to prevent or reduce risks when working from home. Getting started to secure your remote workplace with NordLayer right now will be very beneficial for your business.
Here are the Best 5 Practices for Remote Work Security
1. Two-factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication gives an extra layer of protection against potential attackers. It usually entails employing an external piece of information, such as a specific authentication dongle or a text message sent to your phone when you log on.
SMS isn’t the greatest method for sending authentication codes because it isn’t secure. However, there are app-based or voice-based MFA solutions that can perform the job just as effectively. Even if it takes a few seconds longer to get in, the added security that authentication gives is well worth it.
2. Reliable VPN and Antivirus Software.
The first step for all remote workers should be to protect their connection. When the stakes are this high, relying on Windows’ security software isn’t adequate. Rather, invest in a good Virtual Private Network (VPN) and antivirus software from a reliable company that is updated on a regular basis.
Virtual private networks (VPNs) encrypt the data you send and receive. They also make it difficult for attackers to recognize, let alone target, your online presence. Antivirus security software is the first line of defense in the fight against malware. Some popular utilities include crypto mining software, so be wary and select apps that are solely focused on security.
3. Different devices for work and leisure
When employees neglect to utilize their work laptops, security failures might occur. Online buying, for example, poses security dangers, ranging from insecure payment portals to phony Amazon websites. Many people use the same computer to shop for things as they do for their 9-to-5 jobs. That’s a huge blunder.
The greater the separation between work and play, the better. Request a separate company device with the necessary security software. If that isn’t possible, consider purchasing one for yourself, which also applies to smartphones. In a world where crooks prey on home workers, using a personal gadget for work is quite dangerous.
4. Adopting Zero Trust
Zero Trust networks offer access permissions only when they are necessary, and they check all requests to connect to their systems before giving access. Limiting lateral access throughout the network by dividing security perimeters into smaller zones to retain distinct access to different portions of the network. As workloads become more mobile, segmented security becomes increasingly crucial.
Zero Trust necessitates continual monitoring of every data access and sharing activity, with current activity compared to baselines based on previous behavior and analytics. Monitoring, behaviors, rules, and security analytics all work together to improve the ability to detect internal and external threats.
5. Clear password protocols
Weak passwords are an open invitation to cybercriminals, and the majority of employees use them on a regular basis. It’s difficult to emphasize the value of having strong credentials when your teams are based at home.
Provide a clear procedure that includes requirements for strong passwords, how frequently passwords should be updated, which password managers should be used, and the consequences of password security laxity.
Conclusion
Since remote work is rapidly becoming popular with millions of employees and provides many benefits, such as securing connectivity between cybersecurity tools, local networks, and cloud resources, providing remote work security that will greatly enhance the security of remote work is something every organization should have.