Remote Working Security Risks

Blog posted on 5th July 2024

Introduction:

Remote working has evolved over the years. Since the global pandemic in 2020, it has become a normal daily activity for a lot of people around the world. However, while it does offer increased flexibility and improved work-life balance, there are some remote working security risks that come with this. Many companies are still exploring ways to ensure security standards are met, while staff work from all different places around the world.

Best practices in secure remote working:

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)

In the modern working environment, many people have multiple devices which they use to conduct their work including desktops, laptops, and mobile phones. It’s not uncommon for people to switch between devices when completing tasks, either in an office or on the go. In fact, mobile is trending as the main interface for web traffic these days with lots of companies optimising their digital materials for the smaller screens.

Due to the increased flexibility with multiple devices, the first security control I wanted to mentioned is enabling Multi Factor Authentication. This protocol adds an extra layer of security, typically by requiring a second form of verification such as a text message or an app code. This additional step makes it a lot harder for attackers to gain access using stolen credentials. Also common now is the use of biometric authentication, using your unique physical features like fingerprints or facial recognition to gain access to potentially sensitive information.

Strong Passwords

By now you are most likely bored of hearing this, but the use of weak passwords remains one of the main overlooked areas of security. Many people are still using generic passwords, that could easily be exposed with the correct software. Passwords are your first line of defence against cyber threats, and every company should implement a strong password policy. The policy should follow industry guidelines such as; using unique passwords for different logins, having a minimum character length, and using a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers and special characters.

Software Updates

Many companies use different software solutions to help complete tasks to ensure projects run smoothly. Keeping these tools up to date and not snoozing updates is also often overlooked from a security perspective. However, these software updates regularly include patches for security vulnerabilities. Ensuring your systems, applications and antivirus software are always up to date and enabling automatic updates wherever possible can provide quick wins from a security perspective and help avoid missing critical patches.

Access Control

Understanding who has access to certain information, and regularly reviewing permissions to ensure only authorised people can access sensitive data, is key in mitigating remote working security risks. Consider implementing a zero-trust architecture across your digital landscape, this approach assumes that threats could come from both inside and outside the network, and requires strict verification for anyone trying to access resources. A step further would be to continuously monitor your environment through a security operation centre, looking at real-time analytics to detect and respond to suspicious activity.

Conclusion & Author:

As remote work continues to grow in the professional environment in 2024, ensuring a secure working environment remains a key priority. You may already be doing a lot of these suggestions, which is fantastic! If not, adopting these tips and making them work for your unique situation will help maintain good security and productivity, while still being able to enjoy all the benefits remote work can offer.

Tom Sabine, Account Director

If you would like to discuss this topic further with Tom, have any questions, or would just like to connect in general, you can reach out to him in the following ways:

Mobile: +44 7480 730358
Email: Tom.Sabine@codeshield.co.uk