Remote work has existed for a long time, but it wasn’t prevalent until a few years ago. It has become a mainstream option for many companies nowadays. It brings countless benefits and presents new challenges. The Pew Research Center reports that 35% of US workers are now working remotely full-time, a significant increase in half a decade.
However, this work setting changes everything regarding employees’ online security and productivity. Companies must adapt and find solutions to ensure their employees’ privacy and the success of their projects.
The Rise of Remote Workforces
The peak of remote work ended recently, but it’s still happening for many people. Many companies called their employees back to the office and have implemented hybrid work models. Businesses without an absolute need for physical presence have all adapted and found benefits in letting employees work from home.
Data Security Concerns of Remote Work
Remote work means employees using their devices at home are more prone to security breaches. Even with an encrypted connection, visiting a site means sharing private information. Depending on the site’s privacy policy, brokers can sell the collected data. This has led more people to adopt data broker removal tools to remove their data from brokers.
Data Encryption and Secure Access Solutions
Due to growing digital habits, cyberattacks have exploded and target remote workers. In 2023, of all the cyberattacks, over 70% were ransomware.
Ransomware occurs when someone steals information and asks for a ransom to give it back, or else it’s leaked and/or sold. Remote workers need to be educated about the dangers of online browsing. They must learn how to spot phishing attempts and secure their networks and devices. Lack of protection can lead to events like the MediSecure Data Breach and the 12.9 million medical records leaked.
There’s also the issue of connecting through a home network without the protection of the company. This can result in sensitive data leaks. So, companies should also provide secure remote access to their intranet. It implies the following measures:
- Two-factor authentication
- Randomly generated password (without personal information in the password)
- Regular renewal of the password
- Advanced encryption
- Attribute access control on the least privilege principle (only what’s required to fulfill the employee’s role is accessible)
- Connection monitoring (Activity logs, intrusion detection system, security information, and event management)
Data Removal and Managing Employee Data Lifecycle
When an employee or contractor ends their mission, access to company infrastructure must be removed. However, sometimes, the device can store sensitive information without the employee knowing.
For this reason, companies tend to turn to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) solutions. The employee then has a device with two profiles that don’t communicate with each other. When deleting the work account remotely, it safely erases all sensitive information.
Closing Off
As businesses increasingly rely on digital activity, it becomes mandatory to learn more about online safety. Both companies and employees often lack this knowledge, which can damage everyone, even clients. Encrypting connections, teaching good online behavior, and providing secure platforms aren’t options anymore.
