Telecommuting/working, or remote work is not a new phenomenon, and has seen an increase in recent years, as cost cutting and emissions concerns have become large parts of our collective social conscience.

In fact, a study conducted by the serviced workspace provider, International Workplace Group, in 2018, found that about 70% of employees spent at least 1 day, a week, working from home. The Covid-19 pandemic appears to have accelerated the trend, however. With over 2.5 million infection cases recorded globally, governments have urged citizens to remain home and adhere to strict social distancing protocols – in an effort to mitigate the effects of Corona. The organizations that can, have responded by continuing to operate through a remote staff.

Security Risks Of Having Remote Staff

In many cases – even if firms already had protocols in place, that accommodated remote staff – global businesses were taken unawares by a crisis of this scale and likely scrambled to ready staff for the new conditions. Probably with scant (if any) regard to the cyber-security attached to such an undertaking.

Although some companies may already have a portion of their staff working from home some of the time, government enforced quarantine measures have given firms little time to equip whole staffs to continue productivity from home. These are some of the risks posed by the migration of whole offices to a remote-work model, from a cyber security perspective.

Access To Company Network

In a remote-working arrangement, key staff are not within close proximity of each other, as in an office situation. This means that much of the firm’s processes will need to be conducted online, with employees accessing its internal network from business and personal devices. This increases an organization’s cyber security threat surface, putting endpoints, connectivity, and other enterprise architecture and infrastructure at risk of exploitation by malicious actors.

While large multinationals would have some degree of security in place to ease the transition to remote work, smaller firms are probably at a higher risk of attack, as servers, collaboration tools, firewalls etc. may not be ready for such a shift, leaving them vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Internal network infrastructure taking excess strain from multiple devices accessing it simultaneously, carries risks to productivity, as well as cyber security. Companies pursuing a work-from-home strategy will have to scale their networks accordingly.

Devices

IT departments tasked with managing a remote network of employees, all accessing the organization’s internal systems on various devices will have a number of challenges to contend with.

On one hand, users might access the enterprise network or cloud via a company issued device – in which case, all necessary safeguards should be in place – on the other hand, employees could try to use their own devices to get work done. Which heightens the risk of bad actors surreptitiously getting to company data through phishing.
Additional risk factors to consider when regarding the security of devices that staff use for work is theft/damage. If an employee’s devices are lost, stolen, or damaged, valuable work time could be lost, not to mention the danger of company information being compromised. These factors are further exacerbated by the fact that members of staff likely share their living space with friends or relatives, who might gain access to said devices.

Internal Threats

This refers to human error and the potential for an organization’s staff to inadvertently allow bad actors access to the firm’s systems. This could occur through an act as simple as clicking a link on a solicitous email while cyberslacking, or using a business device for personal means, or vice versa. Cyber criminals tend to use current events to trick users into clicking or downloading content which secretly plants data-stealing software onto web-connected devices, these actors will be out in full force during the Covid-19 lockdown period.

With employees not being within close proximity of one another, communication becomes a big concern. As employees will mostly be communicating by digital means, in many cases, messages could be intercepted by cyber criminals. Authentication, authorization as well as measures to prevent fraud and data theft will have to be considered.

Beefing Up Security

There are measures that companies can put in place to sure themselves up against cyber attacks or data loss while ensuring that they remain operational through a remote staff.

Businesses will have to gain an understanding of their threat surface and work with their IT, or Cyber Security team to identify attack vectors, and make securing their most sensitive data a priority.

They will need to provide their staff with clear remote working policy and give instructions on how employees can make their homes’ working environment more secure. In addition to making sure they have consistent access to IT support.

Investment in security solutions like customer identity and access management for customer-facing applications is critical. Cutting costs in this area is not viable if companies wish to remain protected against online threats.

Ensure that the devices and systems staff will be using are equipped with appropriate security capabilities; VPN, MFA and encryption, where necessary

Employees, on the other hand, will need to maintain clear, and strict, working hours to establish work/life balance. Remote staff will also need to be especially wary of Covid-19 related solicitations coming in the form of emails, calls, or text messages, as well as never mixing business and pleasure (Keeping work devices strictly for work, and personal devices strictly personal).

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Here are 7 of the simplest cybersecurity threats you need to steer clear of:

Avoid installing extra browser extensions

You can integrate additional features and functionalities to your existing browser with the right kind of browser extensions. But like any other software, you need to inspect these add-ons as well. They can see everything that you do online, after all.

You might end up selling your browsing data by going with the wrong extension. It could install extra software on your laptop/desktop by itself and irritate you by ramming pop-up ads on your face. So, keep the number of browser extensions to the minimum and stick with the ones you know and trust.

Adopt the same manner for spotting safe extensions the way you identify genuine and safe apps. Research into the background of the extensions, read the permissions they require and go through customer reviews as well.

It’s always wise to stick to the extensions you find useful already.

Do not plug in rogue USB Sticks

One may not pay much heed to a small USB stick, but these portable drives could carry serious threats if they have been engineered for such. They will cause havoc as soon as you plug them in. So, you should be very careful while connecting any USB drive to your computer, especially if you are unaware of its origin.

Even if the USB is not configured to unleash a payload upon plugging in, it could carry viruses in disguise, such as email attachments. Do not let curiosity get the better of you as studies reveal people are curious as to see what is in a rogue USB they have come across.

Along with applying the right cautions, you have to apply the regular rules against this kind of threat. See that your operating computer system is up to date and has all the security tools are installed and regularly. Always run a virus scan if you are unsure about the files on a USB drive.

Charging Cables with malicious viruses

You get standard charging cables with your gadgets. They are to power up your devices and also sync music, too. But engineered cables that look like regular ones can do a lot of damage. Some time ago, some fake lightning cables surfaced. These can be mass-produced and though they look genuine wires, but could let hackers let remote access to a device after they are plugged in.

The end-user uses a tampered cable and then agree to trust this computer. We are guilty of dismissing the alert more than often. So, always use the cables you get with your devices or from sources you can trust or are reputable.

Do not take bogus online quizzes

You and your friends must have indulged in seemingly harmless quizzes on Facebook to know what kind of bread you are or what is your spirit animal, etc. Some of these quizzes can be used to harvest personal data, which you don’t realize you are giving away.

These quizzes were used to build up detailed profiles of people as well as their friends. These quizzes collect your answer to the quizzes, as well as other information linked to the Facebook accounts. If you note, you’ll see that these fun quizzes ask for your data, such as the name of your pet, the area you live in, and other info which a person could use to impersonate you.

Be careful of anything asking for your personal information or personal photos.

Smart Homes

With the rise of smart homes, hackers have found a whole new area to invest their efforts in. They now have a set of equipment to try and target that could lead to doors that you cannot lock or the security camera footage of your home getting viewed by multiple people.

To keep your smart homes secure, you need to start with cautious shopping. Stick to reputable and well-known brands that have a solid track record in hardware. Ensure that your smart home devices and your router acts are updated with the latest software. Many reputable smart home devices automatically do this. Take care of your devices, and these include your phones as well. Someone could install Xnspy spyware on it and monitor all of your digital footprints remotely.

If your smart home accounts and devices require passwords, see that you never stick with the default password. Always pick a long, difficult-to-guess password that you do not use anywhere else. Add turn on two-factor authentication as an additional protection layer.

Pay Attention to Zombie Accounts

We are living in a connected world. And in such a fast-paced age, it becomes easy to lose track of all the social media, job-finding apps, and other sites we download and use. Every account that you leave behind or stop using could be hacked.

You must take out time to shut these accounts down rather than uninstalling the relevant app from the phone. If you suffer a data breach from any of those suffers a breach, there will be no information about you if you have scrubbed the account clean. Check the third-party apps and services which are synced with your main accounts periodically. They provide an easy target to hackers. Delete the ones you are not using actively.

Photos Leaking Information

Now, there is nothing wrong with posting your photos on your favorite social platforms, but you should always think twice about the possibility of people stealing information from your photos you have uploaded on public settings. Especially the ones you took near or in your home or at the workplace.

Though a lot of apps such as Facebook and Instagram remove the location data automatically from your photos, there are apps like Google Photos that keep this data with the file after it’s been shared. Whether you decide to keep the original location data away, the associate check-in on social media that could slide the location right back in.

Information such as knowing where you eat lunch daily, where you work, and the road you live on could allow a person to help to run an identity theft scam and get past security questions of your email ID or social media accounts. Your public photos should say less about you and should not reveal personal information about you. And with the worst kind of stalkers, it only requires some reflection in your eyes for them to figure out your location.

Pay attention to the things around you. Think of ways how someone could misuse or steal your information. Take care, and you will be safe.

The post Steer Clear of These 7 Unpopular Cybersecurity Threats appeared first on Bizznerd.

We are not talking a decade or five years down the line, tactics used by cyber criminals are getting unpredictable and dangerous by the day. Hackers have amassed the knowledge of the various ways to attack their targeted choice of cyber network, hack into their systems, take control and steal all the valuable data that the system stores. This is the reason for the breakdown of thousands of aspiring corporations who only once experience a cyber-security system breach. They become deprived of their important assets which were the foundation of their prosperity.

There is no specific pattern in which hackers choose a target, which means even a small business or company can be a victim of cyber-attacks. Hence it is important to update your cyber security systems to prevent any breaches from being made. Some companies have been preparing themselves but just how good is their cyber security strategy? Here are some of the top things to consider when assessing the strength of your cyber security network.

Are your Employees Trained to Handle Threats?

Your employees are the doorway to your companies’ vital assets. Breaches usually occur through emails opened by unsuspecting employees or using company assets in public Wi-Fi hot spots.

If their knowledge and practice against cyber threats isn’t up to the mark, you will be putting your corporation at a major risk of being victimized. Which is why training them to prevent and defend against any cyber threats should take first priority. Start by hiring a professional expert on cyber security and have them drill their knowledge into the mindsets of your employees. Make sure to hire them at least twice a year- this way not only will the new employees receive training but even the old employees can get reviewed about the cyber security training.

Furthermore, performing ‘Live Fire’ exercises can be very beneficial. These exercises are like tests where the company’s IT department sends out mock threats. The scores give an idea of whether the training is making them efficient in their tasks even through such critical events. Conducting these exercises every now and then can enhance the rate of security against cyber threats.

How Up to Date is Your Company?

Cybercriminals are advancing faster than most businesses’ pace of forging new defenses against hackers’ assaults every time. You must make sure that the members of your corporation are kept up to date with the information of the latest cyber threats which have emerged. You can exchange important information regarding cyber security services from acquainted companies. You can even conduct meetings that can brainstorm on ideas on how to further strengthen your cyber security and defend itself from any future cyber threats

How Secure is the Technology You Employ?

Aside from training your employees, it is crucial to look critically at all your technological devices. Especially networks or devices which have important data stored in them because they run the risk of being hacked into the most. Are your company’s computers not protected by an anti-virus software? Do your employees properly shut down and keep them in a secure place? Do your computers all have different passwords?

It is important to remember that hackers can break into any cyber security system from even the smallest of openings that they can find. For that reason, being vigilant and thoroughly strengthening the barricade of your cyber security should be an essential part of your everyday tasks.

Use a Firewall and have all of your computers get installed with the latest anti-virus software. They allow only authorized traffic to pass through and prevent any cyber-criminal activities from creeping into the system. The regular backing up of data is important-this way even if you accidently lose important information, you can always look into the backed-up files to get the essential data back.

When it comes to your employees’ tasks, make sure they know better than to avoid opening spam emails and phishing-anonymous emails and links are one of the ways cyber systems are hacked. After having the days’ work done, have your employees shut off their computers properly and keep the computers locked up in a safe and secure place. Another important barricade that must be updated every once in a while, are the passwords. Having the same and predictable password might seem easier to use but it also makes it easier for hackers to crack into the cyber code and steal your data right under your nose. Save yourself the trouble and have different passwords set up that should be updated once in two or three months.

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