Are your remote employees getting lax about cybersecurity?

As we’ve entered a new era of remote work, employees everywhere have uncovered major benefits. By doing their jobs outside of the traditional office, people have come to discover entirely new levels of flexibility, productivity, and convenience. And by and large, their employers are happy too. But there is one red flag for companies and their workers to be aware of - it’s all too easy for them to let the guard down when it comes to security fortification.

According to ZDNet, this is a major topic of conversation in IT circles right now. There’s a concern that, as traditional offices crumble and people begin to take their technology into their own hands, employees may start to ignore cybersecurity threats. And as cybercriminals’ tools and techniques are constantly evolving, and attacks become more difficult to detect and mitigate, this problem is only going to grow.

“The main concern that remains for me around remote work is inadvertent exposure and public-facing applications," said Jamie Collier, senior threat intelligence advisor at Mandiant. "We increasingly see all of those configuration issues and threat groups are actually getting a lot of success. They don't even necessarily need an exploit because the defenders provided that open goal.”

So what can be done about this problem? For starters, employees can pay attention to the common-sense security fixes that are right under their noses. Updating their operating systems and apps frequently is one prime example. By applying new security patches as soon as possible, they can protect their systems against the latest cyberthreats. This is one of the least glamorous aspects of IT, but it’s one that’s nonetheless crucial to stay ahead of ever-evolving risks.

There are other basic steps that can also have a major impact. Rolling out multi-factor authentication (MFA), for one thing, can help employees put up strong barriers against cyberattacks. Even if hackers are able to steal legitimate usernames and passwords, they will still be unable to take control of email accounts or cloud platforms without user approval. Additionally, stronger password security can make a big difference. If employees can avoid using and reusing simple passwords that are easy for hackers to guess, that will dramatically reduce the chance of a potential attack.

Of course, if just the basics prove to be not enough, you can always reach out to the professionals for a little extra help. And that’s where Zones comes in. We offer a wealth of solutions designed to help your business where Security Fortification is concerned. Our Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) offering, for one, includes comprehensive, proactive testing and analysis services that will defend you against cyberthreats and help you maintain a strong, secure IT infrastructure. And that’s just the start.

At Zones, we have no shortage of ways to help your business boost security - and we’ve got a team of experts ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work for you. Connect with us today if you’re ready to begin your journey.

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