Cyber Security Challenges of Working from Home

        

COVID-19 has created the need of maintaining social distancing among people so that many organizations have shifted to work from home practice and to operate largely online. This is supported by many technologies including internet, cloud computing, online team colloborative tools, mobile computing etc.

Work from home and operating online helps organizations to continue their business operations in a safer manner with the COVID pandemic situation, but it also has many cyber security risks attached with it. Major reasons like employees using new ways than before to access organizations systems or data, using unfamiliar software, using less secure hardware devices or software  to access organizational services, unsafe network access ultimately creates vulnerabilities and cyber risks for organizations. 

Cyber criminals will have opportunities to get advantage of vulnerabilities to gain access to organizations confidential information. Therefore it is important for organizations to know the security risks of working from home and how to implement remote working with minimizing the cyber security risks.

Following are a few challenges associated with work from home situations that creates vulnerabilities for cyber-attacks.

• Unsecure hardware and networks

Personal devices and home network connections may not have sufficient security controls like VPNs, firewalls, intrusion prevention mechanisms to access confidential cooperate data of an organization.

• Using several devices for same purpose

Employees tend to use multiple devices like laptop, tablet or mobile to connect with the organizations systems and services when working from home. Can create potential threats as all devices do not have same level of security measures implemented. For example a laptop may have sufficient security controls but a mobile may not.

• Increased data-sharing through the internet

Compared to an office environment where employees use secured communication infrastructure to communicate and exchange information, work from home interactions are increasingly dependent on the internet connectivity and online file sharing.

• Scams and phishing e-mails

Phishing targets on stealing user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers etc. and often, phishing emails, scams and malicious campaigns targeting remote workers are possible to create cyber threats for organizations.

• Third-party threats: 

Working from home involves sharing same living space with family members, friends or visitors which may create threats of dispersing confidential data of organizations as well as unauthorized access to systems by outsiders.

• Challenges of IT Support

Unlike working on-site, remote workers often need the support of the IT department, specifically due to security issues. Distance challenges the IT department from efficiently providing the required assistance for employees.

Best practices for work from home security challenges

Actions needs to be taken from both organizational as well as employee perspective to minimize the vulnerabilites that open up opportunities for cyber attacks. Following actions can be taken to minimize cyber threats when working from home. 

• Encourage remote workers to use company-issued devices
• Establish remote access protocols
• Ensure that the devices used by workers are equipped with efficient security controls if employees are permitted to use the personal devices
• Training employees on using basic security practices 
• Using VPN and secured networks with firewalls
• Enable two factor or multifactor authentication
• Establish strong password policies and reset on schedule basis
• Locking devices when leaving and safely storing important documents  to prevent unauthorized third party access
• Keep the softwares updated frequently
• Planning and implementing of disaster recovery in case of a data breach or attack on a remote workstation
• Purchase a cybersecurity liability insurance to help in recovery in case of an incident

For additional information you can refer following video on tips of cyber security for working from home.

Resources:

[1]Aimee O'driscoll, 13 cybersecurity tips for staff working remotely,  

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/security-remote-working/

[2]Andrew Martins, Cybersecurity tips for working from home, 

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15701-coronavirus-remote-cybersecurity.html

[3]George Mutune, Work from Home Cyber Risks, 

https://cyberexperts.com/work-from-home-cyber-risks%EF%BB%BF/

[4]How to protect your business from cyberthreats when employees work from home, 

https://www.chubb.com/us-en/businesses/resources/how-to-protect-your-business-from-cyber-threats-when-employees-work-from-home.aspx

[5]Luke Irwin, The cyber security risks of working from home, 

https://www.itgovernance.co.uk/blog/the-cyber-security-risks-of-working-from-home

[6]David Sparkman, Cybersecurity and working from home, 

https://www.ehstoday.com/safety-technology/article/21129849/cybersecurity-and-working-from-home

[7]Tomas Foltyn, 6 Tips for safe and secure remote working, 

https://www.welivesecurity.com/2020/03/26/6-tips-safe-secure-remote-working