What Risks do Remote Employees Face?
Jun 23, 2022
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Ever since the arrival of the internet, it has brought about countless new opportunities. As technology has advanced over the years we have been able to use the internet in many different ways. From contacting friends and family on the other side of the world in an instant to finding your favorite movies and TV shows at the touch of a button, it’s all possible in this day and age.
Nowadays we even can work remotely. There’s no longer a need to have an office space and force employees to go to work from 9-5. With the technological marvel that is the internet, we can now work from anywhere at any time. Working remotely has become more and more popular in recent years, and more businesses are seeing the benefits of it.
However, as great as remote work can be, it does come with its risks that you need to know about. Cybercrime is on the rise, and it’s something that simply can’t be ignored, especially if your employees are working remotely. If you’re looking for some essential cybersecurity tools for remote employees, keep reading to find out which you need to use.
Why is Remote Work More Popular?
In recent years we have seen a huge increase in the number of people working remotely. There are a few reasons why this has happened, but for the most part, businesses are now hiring employees that aren’t even close to their physical location. Having remote work available has become beneficial to both employees and the business itself.
The first element that sparked the remote work revolution is the Covid-19 pandemic. As the world went into lockdown, many people were forced to work from their own homes rather than going into the office. It was certainly a strange time for everyone, but many businesses soon realized the benefits that came with having remote employees — including better employee morale, happiness, and flexibility.
Working remotely is not necessarily something new though, and it’s been around for a fair few years even before the pandemic shut the world down. It was much less popular and less available than it is today, but working remotely did exist for a few different jobs around the world. That being said, there’s one thing that has always plagued remote employees — cybercrime.
The Risks Remote Workers Face
Remote employees face different challenges than traditional office employees. Remote workers need to keep in mind that they can be a victim of cybercrime, and when you’re dealing with important work files, this is the last thing you want.
When it comes to cybercrime, there are many different types to look out for. From malicious software to phishing, remote workers could be subjected to any type of cyberattack, and some could be more devastating than others.
The other factor to consider is that when you have a network of remote employees one breach could compromise your entire business network. For example, if one employee picks up a virus, the virus can spread from their device to others through something as simple as emails — which we use every day. This means that if you have a business with remote employees, investing in cybersecurity is more important than ever.
It’s not always as simple as telling your employees that they need to install cybersecurity tools on their devices. Employees need to understand the importance of cybersecurity within your business, and why they need to have security measures installed on their devices. Employees should also understand the basic concepts of phishing and how to spot it before they fall victim to this cunning cyberattack.
We’ve mentioned viruses and phishing scams, but by far the most damaging form of malware that you could come across in your business is ransomware. Ransomware has caused billions of dollars in damage despite its incredibly simple concept. Once this malware has been installed on your device, ransomware will encrypt files and accounts on your device (it will specifically target important files related to your personal information or your work). Encrypted files cannot be accessed, moved, or even copied without a key. The only way to get hold of the password to unlock your files is by paying a ransom fee to the cybercriminal. Even then, the hacker can choose to simply take your money and leave your files completely encrypted if they wish.
How to Keep Your Device Secure
So now that we understand the risks that your remote employees could be facing while putting in the hours for your business, we need to understand what we can do about it. Luckily there are ways that you can ensure the safety of your employees and their devices through the use of a couple of cybersecurity tools. You should always try to invest in cybersecurity tools that allow you to share multiple accounts with your employees.
The first essential cybersecurity tool that you need is premium antivirus software. Antivirus software will constantly scan your device for any viruses or other types of malware, and if any have been found the software will take action to remove them from your device.
As remote employees, there is always the chance that someone will be working while they are traveling. This could mean that they will be connecting to a public WiFI hotspot in an airport, hotel, or restaurant somewhere. However, these unsecured connections pose a risk to your device’s security and privacy. Your employees should use a premium VPN to encrypt their connection which will mask what they are doing on their device as well as their location — this could also help them to unblock websites that have been censored or are subject to geo-gra[hical blocking.
Some premium VPNs and antivirus software can scan emails, links, and websites for any potential phishing threats, and this is always a great feature to have, so you should keep an eye out for this feature when choosing your security tools.
Finally, you should invest in a premium password manager if you need to share passwords with your employees. These password managers are secured with a master key, and they act as a virtual vault for all your login details, allowing you to control who has access to them.
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