The Cyber Risks of Working Outside the Office

A major concern and risk of small and medium sized companies is securing their employees working outside the office. A company’s sensitive data, including financial, healthcare, and client records can be at great risk. With over 35 million people working remotely currently in the US making up 23% of the workforce, our blog article provides recommendations on how to secure your distributed workers and protect your critical data, by implementing layered security including encrypted endpoint VPNs, multi-factor authentication, endpoint management, detect and response protection, and adhering to compliance best practices.

Devices, Tools and Awareness

Your employees working outside the office face many risks.

1. Unsecured internet connections and devices lacking security monitoring and management tools.
2. Employees lacking cybersecurity awareness to stay safe and are more susceptible to phishing scams malware and ransomware.
3. PCs lacking adequate storage risk computer crashes and lost data, greatly impacting productivity.
4. PCs lacking critical security, performance updates, and patches impact performance and put them at heightened risk of being compromised.

Distributed Workers Are Targets For Cybercriminals

The number of employees accessing corporate networks from different locations and devices is expected to grow by 25% over the next five years, so cybercriminals continue to expand their attacks. Employees working remotely, often referred to as a distributed workforce, have become a top target of cybercriminals. Companies must understand these risks and implement more robust cybersecurity strategies and solutions to protect their company data and maintain operational integrity.

A Layered Security Approach: Four Key Components

We recommend a layered security approach including encrypted VPNs for endpoints, multi-factor authentication, 24 x 7 endpoint protection that includes manage, detect and response capabilities and compliance best practices.

• Encrypted Endpoint VPN

Most employees who are working outside the office use their personal devices for work tasks putting the corporate network at risk. Endpoint VPNs enhance remote work security by creating encrypted tunnels for data transmission, protecting against breaches and cyber threats. They are crucial for maintaining the integrity of corporate networks and safeguarding sensitive information in remote work environments.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Traditional passwords are no longer secure enough to protect cyber criminals from stealing credentials and accessing the corporate data. According to Microsoft, MFA blocks 99.9% of account compromise incidents. MFA enables secure remote access to company networks, allowing employees to work safely from home, traveling or anywhere. MFA requires two or more forms of identity verification before access is granted making it much less likely  for cyber criminals to obtain illegal access. MFA helps ensure compliance with many regulations and protects businesses from potential legal fees and fines.

• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)/Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) and MDR (Managed Detection and Response) have become crucial components of modern cybersecurity strategies for businesses to stay safe. EDR solutions continuously monitor end user devices 24×7 detecting and responding to ransomware and malware. EDR provides advanced threat protection, investigation and response capabilities, alert triage, threat hunting and containment, providing advanced security measures. MDR proves 24×7 access to security experts using advanced threat defense tools who proactively detect and respond to threats and differentiate false threats from real threats, remediating the qualified incidents. MDR help companies fill security gaps and help them become more secure, vigilant and resilient.

• Why Compliance Is Important

According to the Knowledge Academy, compliance enhances your reputation and helps establish trust with your customers and stakeholders. Compliance helps reduce both legal and financial risks and improves operational efficiency.  Companies that focus on compliance have higher employee satisfaction and retention, see increased business growth and are more competitive than their peers. Compliance should be part of your mission plan ensuring you comply the laws and regulations, greatly reducing  the risk of threats, fines, loss of revenue and a damaged reputation amongst your client base. Compliance remains critical for your distributed employees ensuring secure remote access and protecting your critical data and  maintaining the integrity and trust of your overall business.

How We Can Secure Your Distributed Workforce

We have provided secure and optimized network infrastructure to clients across many industries securing and supporting their distributed employees. We understand the importance of cybersecurity, compliance, and an optimized infrastructure for your business. As experts in these areas, we are here to help you navigate the complexities and ensure your business remains current, secure, compliant, and efficient.

We Are the Experts

• Cybersecurity: Protecting your company using a layered security posture including advanced security measures such as VPNs, multi-factor authentication (MFA), endpoint detection and response (EDR), and managed detection and response (MDR).
• Compliance: We ensure our clients meet regulatory requirements by mitigating risks and improve their operational efficiency. We have extensive experience with highly regulated clients requiring strict risk and compliance requirements.
• Infrastructure Optimization: Whether you are migrating from on premise hardware to the cloud or upgrading existing infrastructure and PC hardware, our team of experts who plan and deliver a seamless user experience, minimizing downtime while enhancing performance, security and employee productivity no matter where they are working .
• Tailored Solutions: Our team of experts will work closely with you to develop customized strategies that meet your specific needs Client IT Infrastructure requirements and needs are differ. We design a efficient and optimized solution that fits both their needs and budget.
• Ongoing Support: We provide continuous support, proactive monitoring, security and remediation to ensure your systems, and your entire workforce remain secure, compliant and productive.

Not sure where your vulnerabilities lie? Our Cyber Risk Business Audit gives you a clear picture of your current security posture, including gaps in remote worker protection, compliance readiness, and endpoint security.

 

Contact us today for a free consultation.

 

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