18 Remote Working Security Risks in Business

Remote work has changed the business world, bringing with it the rewards of work-life balance, enhancement of flexibility, and talent globalization. These advantages come with specific security limitations that should be seriously dealt with. With the urgency of the sudden adoption of remote work, numerous organizations have had to adapt security strategies to prevent the spread of sensitive information outside the organization. Research conducted by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research reveals that the number of employees working at least one day a week outside the office has increased fivefold since 2019, accounting for 42% of the workforce. Even as the shift has dramatically altered the way work is conducted, it has elevated the range of exposures to cybersecurity that businesses face.

The sharp increase in working remotely raises critical concerns related to data security. Uncentralized companies rely on home networks, use personal devices, and have largely unrestricted access to corporate systems. Therefore, such organizations have become an ideal ground for cybercriminals. Remote workers tend to be most vulnerable without the office-based IT infrastructures set up around safeguards against such attacks. Below, this article highlights some of the remote working security risks posed by using an unsecured connection for telecommuting. We are going to delve into what remote working security means, the challenges a business faces in securing its remote environment, and the practical strategies organizations can apply in order to mitigate the risks effectively.

What is Remote Working Security? 

Remote working security refers to policies, technologies, and practices that are used in protecting sensitive information, communications, and network access by employees working away from the traditional office setting. As distributed workforces become increasingly common, businesses are becoming more vulnerable to cyber threats that could damage their data and operations due to increasing remote work. A recent report concluded that 86% of business leaders believe global geopolitical instability is likely to result in a devastating cyber incident in the next two years. This statistic has brought into focus the need for companies to implement appropriate remote security measures that account for both current and emerging cyber threats in distributed workforces.

Need for Remote Working Security

There is a growing demand for remote working security. As the remote workforce continues to grow, so do the remote working security risks. Employees are accessing company networks from outside typical office environments, making strong security controls vital components. Remote work challenges businesses by exposing their operations to cyber threats, usually due to weak controls over home networks and personal devices. Here is a look at why improving remote working security features is at the top of every organization’s to-do list today.

1. Surging cyber attacks: The trend of cyber attacks targeting remote workers creates an enormous concern for organizations. As hackers increasingly exploit weak home networks to compromise corporate systems, sensitive company data becomes vulnerable to many exposures through remote employees utilizing their home or unsecured networks. This environment creates more entry points through which attackers can perform phishing attacks, ransomware, or malware that may compromise entire networks. For this reason, protecting such endpoints is becoming a critical element of modern cybersecurity strategies.
2. Lack of Employee Awareness and Training: Though security awareness continues to increase, many employees still need proper training in handling cyber threats. The global workforce gap increased by over 25% in 2022, and nearly 70% of organizations reported a skilled worker shortage. In response, many companies are increasing their efforts to improve cybersecurity awareness among their remote employees to fill these knowledge gaps and protect their businesses from rising cyber threats. Untrained employees who cannot identify phishing emails or handle sensitive data safely are prime targets for hackers, hence the need for employee training.
3. Unsecured Home Networks: Home networks are more vulnerable to cyber threats compared to those in a controlled office environment. Security is often weak, and most remote workers use outdated routers or default passwords that haven’t been updated in years. Such systems easily fall victim to cyber hackers. Unpatched firmware and weak Wi-Fi configurations amplify the risks further. Hackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to intercept communications or gain unauthorized access to corporate systems. Network security protocols must be strengthened for remote workers to minimize this risk.
4. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Challenges: BYOD brings additional security challenges for businesses because personal devices, which usually lack security configurations similar to corporate-owned devices, are more vulnerable. Employees may not have the latest software updates or antivirus protection, thereby increasing the risk of cyber attacks. Additionally, the mixing of personal and professional data creates privacy issues and complicates efforts to safeguard sensitive business information. Organizations need to implement stricter BYOD policies to mitigate these risks.
5. Absence of IT Oversight: The decentralized nature of the remote workspace makes it difficult for IT teams to monitor and secure devices effectively. In most cases, IT departments have no direct physical access, which complicates consistent enforcement of security policies and quick responses to system vulnerabilities. Lack of visibility can result in unpatched software and misconfigurations with delayed discovery of security incidents. As remote work proliferates, organizations must invest more in monitoring tools and proper security protocols to ensure complete protection.

18 Remote Working Security Risks

Remote work presents numerous security issues that businesses must control to protect sensitive information. Working away from the office exposes remote workers to more cyber threats than office-based work. Without strict security measures, they become targets for attackers. This section covers the top 18 security risks of remote work and their potential impact on organizational security.

1. Phishing Attacks: By far, the most common form of cyber threat against remote employees is phishing. Attackers simply blast out fraudulent emails designed to trick employees into divulging their login credentials or opening and downloading malicious files. In 2023, nearly 80% of the security breaches have originated with phishing attacks, a sure evidence of its success. When employees work at home, they also do not have the protection of corporate email filtering mechanisms. This kind of social engineering changes all the time when morphing into new forms. It, therefore, requires constant awareness and training as preventive measures for such incidents.
2. Poor Password Practices: Most remote workers use weak passwords or keep using the same password for all different accounts, which raises the possibility of unauthorized access. An attack would then leverage weak authentication to break into systems. Unless a company has applied strict policies regarding strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, it may be in grave danger. Managed password managers combine with frequent renewal processes to make sure that remote workers have strong and unique passwords for every use.
3. Insecure Wi-Fi Networks: Many remote workers connect via public or unsecured Wi-Fi in cafes or other shared spaces, making them the perfect vector for cybercriminals. These networks are not encrypted; thus, it’s pretty easy for attackers to intercept data. By capturing communication between a user and enterprise systems, hackers can steal sensitive information. In this regard, the use of Virtual Private Networks should be encouraged to keep internet traffic secure and bypass the employees from such risks.
4. Unpatched Software: Most remote employees do not regularly update their software, hence making the devices an easy target to exploit. Similarly, unpatched systems expose organizations to known vulnerabilities that are easily exploited by any attacker. This might further pose a risk in terms of ransomware viruses or even a breach in data. Ensuring that workers have automated update settings enabled and getting timely access to patches is key to securing remote work environments.
5. Malware and Ransomware: Without stringent controls in place, remote environments are a breeding ground for malware and ransomware attacks. Unsecured gadgets are used by hackers to ensure unauthorized access, encryption of data, or hold systems hostage. Many remote workers will naturally become less safeguarded than in an office environment, making it easier for cybercriminals to strike. Of course, robust endpoint protection with regular scanning certainly minimizes this risk.
6. Shadow IT: Shadow IT refers to the use of unauthorized applications or services by employees to solve work-related problems without any approval or recognition by IT. Unsolicited tools bypass security protocols, and that all adds up to unregulated data sharing. Shadow IT increases the potential for data breaches and presents an array of vulnerabilities to the network. Organizations should employ strict policies that can manage software utilization to ensure that all the tools being used meet the minimum standards of security.
7. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Working over unsecured networks, remote employees are at the risk of falling victim to man-in-the-middle attacks. Cybercriminals prevent data from getting to where it was supposed to go by intercepting it between the employee and the party to whom they were trying to send it. In such an attack, sensitive information may be stolen without the owner’s knowledge. Companies should, therefore, render virtual private networks and encryption mandatory to maintain the security of communications, keeping MITM attacks at bay.
8. Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication: While MFA is an additional and necessary layer in security posture, it is also a layer that many employees fail to apply when working remotely. Not having MFA means attackers can compromise accounts with stolen credentials. Adding an extra step, such as phone verification, businesses can make unauthorized access a little bit more challenging for hackers. Making sure all employees use MFA is a critical security measure in a remote setting.
9. Insider Threat: Remote work might increase the chances of insider threats, both intentional and unintentional. Without supervision, employees are more likely to handle sensitive information or access privileges improperly. Whether driven by negligence or malicious intent, insider threats can extol very considerable damage to an organization. A well-implemented access control, intelligently deployed monitoring, and training policies will be optimal solutions for treading this risk in remote working environments.
10. Theft of Devices: Laptops, tablets, and phones are moved to public locations where the device might get stolen. More significantly, a stolen device may provide access to sensitive corporate data if not properly encrypted. Companies should have it their policy that proper encryption and remote wipe capability be in place in case a device is lost or stolen.
11. Data Leakage: Data leakage is a situation when internal information falls into the wrong hands through some unsecured channels or perhaps is stored in a place that is quite vulnerable. Many employees working remotely could inadvertently expose confidential data when working beyond the secure office environments. The way to prevent data leakage would be to implement safe file-sharing practices and increase employee awareness of these risks.
12. VPN Misconfigurations: While VPNs are arguably one of the most important tools for securing remote connections, it still remains the case that poor configurations or the utilization of untrusted VPN services will expose corporate networks to attack. The poorly configured VPNs will introduce gaps that the hackers might know how to utilize. Organizations should make sure their VPN configurations are current and that employees use approved services to fend off these types of vulnerabilities.
13. Poor Endpoint Protection: With weak endpoint protection, devices are victims of various types of cyber threats like malware, ransomware, and unauthorized access. Most employees working remotely will probably bypass the installation of security software installed by the company in their machines, thus leaving them exposed. Guiding appropriate endpoint protection solutions that are monitored by IT is sufficient to lock down any remote work arrangement.
14. Absence of Encryption: Where there is no strong encryption, the attackers can intercept files and communications easily during transmission. This access to unencrypted data by cybercriminals allows potential breaches to occur, causing massive financial and reputational damages. Businesses should use encryption for sensitive files and communication in order to protect against unauthorized access to protect critical information.
15. Cloud Storage Vulnerabilities: Cloud storage is the source through which remote workers share and collaborate on files. However, when cloud storage platforms are not set up properly, they become a source of data breaches. Poorly configured access controls or insecure links grant unauthorized users access to sensitive files. Proper cloud security protocols ensure that remote work data remains secure.
16. Exploiting Collaboration Tools: Tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack are vital to remote work but equally provide opportunities that can be leveraged to a hacker’s advantage. Assaulters will use a weakness in the security settings of these platforms or an exploited vulnerability to access sensitive meetings or communications. Organizations should ensure that security settings are properly configured and regularly updated.
17. Compliance and Issues of Data Privacy: Remote working complicates compliance with data privacy regulations such as GDPR, PCI-DSS, and CCPA. Any negligence or mismanagement of valuable data and non-compliance with the required compliance may result in different regulatory violations and possible legal consequences. Thus, strict data privacy policies need to be eminently pursued by businesses, and employees working remotely have to be trained on how to handle data according to set standards of compliance.
18. No Security Monitoring: Without real-time security monitoring, it will be quite challenging for organizations to detect and respond to security incidents on remote devices. Where there is a lack of visibility, the process of threat detection and remediation is always very slow, which can lead to more severe damage. The deployment of remote monitoring tools, which provide continuous security oversight, ensures limited exposure since an organization can detect and respond more quickly to an incident.

How to Mitigate Security Risks in Remote Working?

The mitigation of security risks in remote working both applies to and necessitates a multi-faceted approach. As cyber threats against remote employees begin to rise, organizations should pay attention to strengthening their defenses. Effective risk mitigation blends the usage of advanced technologies, educative mechanisms for employees, and strict policy enforcement. Some of the most efficient strategies for reducing security risks within the context of remote work will now be discussed.

1. Implement MFA (Multi-factor Authentication): MFA adds an extra layer of security where users must verify their identity via at least two different factors, something like a password and a one-time code. This significantly reduces the possibility of someone getting access to an account, even if they are in possession of login credentials. MFA sends flows over all remote access points to businesses, reducing breach cases. It is very effective in keeping credential theft and brute force attacks at bay.
2. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): VPNs serve to secure remote connections by encrypting data traffic between the remote worker and the company network. This encryption prevents cyber criminals from intercepting sensitive information, even on unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. VPN ensures that all the data exchanged is protected and at minimal risk of man-in-the-middle attacks. Encouragement toward the use of company-approved VPNs by remote employees forms an effective means of safeguarding communications.
3. Implementation of Regular Software Updates: A very common entry point for cyber attackers is outdated software with unpatched vulnerabilities. For this reason, every organization should ensure that automatic software updates are enforced on all remote devices. Ensuring that systems are always up to date reduces the likelihood that cyber criminals might make use of known vulnerabilities. Of course, it is highly important to keep security software, operating systems, and collaboration tools regularly updated.
4. Data Encryption Policy: Robust data encryption policies ensure that sensitive information is not compromised during transmission and storage. Full-disk encryption of devices for remote employees secures unauthorized access to data in case the device gets lost or stolen. In addition, this prevents data from being intercepted in the course of online exchanges. By enforcing strict encryption protocols, businesses can substantially reduce the risk of data breaches.
5. Security Awareness Training: The culture of security awareness should be built with training for the employees working remotely to equip them with the knowledge of how to identify and avoid cyber threats. Training programs should cover phishing scams, social engineering attacks, and password practices. Educating the employees on how to identify a probable threat and how to respond minimizes human error, which is usually the weak link in cybersecurity defense.
6. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): EDR solutions provide continuous endpoint activity monitoring and analysis, thus offering early detection of suspicious behavior. These systems let the IT team respond as quickly as possible to certain prospective threats before actual incidents occur. Also, the use of EDR tools on remote devices lets organizations enhance the malfunctioning activity monitoring and prevention of cyber-attacks. EDR eases the process of collecting valuable data for post-incident investigations and future security measures.

Best Practices for Securing Remote Workforces

With remote work turning into a permanent arrangement in many organizations, security in distributed teams has become more important than ever. A successful remote workforce security strategy contains a combination of advanced technologies, well-defined policies, and awareness among employees.

The proactive approach toward protection against the evolution of threats in data and networks should be implemented by the business. So, let’s review seven best practices to safeguard remote workforces in this section.

1. Enforce High Password Strength: The first line of defense against unauthorized access is good password policies. Encourage complex and unique passwords for every account that might require different simple combinations that can easily be guessed. Password managers make this process easier with the secure storing of credentials and generating strong passwords automatically. Periodic password changes and the use of multi-factor authentication further add another layer of difficulty for an attacker to compromise accounts.
2. Use only Secure Wi-Fi Networks: Many remote workers take advantage of home Wi-Fi networks, which might not be as secure as on-premise settings. A way to reduce this risk for the organization is to make sure employees have WPA3-encrypted Wi-Fi connections right in their homes. It will be important to give recommendations to your employees in detail on how to secure their routers, change standard passwords, and keep their firmware up-to-date. Wi-Fi security cuts down the possibility of cybercriminals exploiting weak networks to intercept sensitive information.
3. Apply Zero Trust Principles: The Zero Trust security model has represented a perfect match for remote work environments. The model works on the philosophy of “never trust, always verify”, nobody gets access to the company resources without verification, irrespective of the place. Zero Trust ensures that users and devices are monitored and validated in real time to minimize the probability of unauthorized access. With the Zero Trust model in place, only authenticated users with proper permissions have access to sensitive data and systems.
4. Management of Remote Devices: It is very crucial to maintain control over system security through remote management. Device management tools allow the IT teams to secure, configure, and monitor employee devices remotely. These tools keep the devices in compliance with the company’s security policies and also deliver new software and patches from time to time. In case of a security incident, the system of remote management can help in isolating those sets of devices and save others from damage.
5. Access Control Policies: Limiting sensitive data access according to employee roles is one of the most important aspects of setting a baseline for minimizing the breach. Access control policies should provide employees with permission to access no more information than that required for an employee to carry out their job role. Through the adoption of role-based access controls and proper permission management, a business will be able to reduce the level of damage that may occur when accounts are jeopardized. Applying these policies increases direct relevance for remote workforces since IT teams have more limited physical oversight.
6. Incident Response Planning: A strong incident response plan is quite instrumental to remote work settings providing rapid security incidents. Organizations should develop and practice response plans regarding the unique challenges an environment may pose. This involves having prior planning on security breaches, defining measures on how to contain them, and laying down proper communication channels. Once tested, anyone can have a strong plan that ensures speedier and more effective ways through which teams mitigate threats in order to minimize downtime to a minimum.
7. Encourage the Use of Company-Approved Tools: The use of unsupported software can expose an organization to unnecessary risk. Organizations should require all employees and partners to utilize only company-approved collaboration, communication, productivity applications, and other ways to reduce susceptibility. These applications should be cleared of all known security threats, updated regularly, and supported by IT teams. With this, companies can reduce security gaps from unauthorized or insecure applications where the use of trusted applications is required.

Securing Remote Workforces with SentinelOne

Modern workforces have undergone massive shifts ever since the adoption of remote work practices and the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies have dispersed their security staff worldwide, which means traditional security perimeters have expanded, creating new challenges for organizations looking to protect their assets. SentinelOne is designed to secure global remote workforces.

SentinelOne Singularity™ Platform can identify, prevent, and respond to cyber attacks at machine speed, relieving the burden on security teams. Its advanced threat protection secures laptops, desktops, and mobile devices on or off corporate networks. You can secure your cloud infrastructure with visibility, security, and response capabilities tailor-made for its environments. Constantly be ahead of monitoring and tracking in real-time for all endpoints and workloads in the cloud. Make informed security decisions based on AI-driven insights into the threat landscape. Secure hybrid cloud workforces, identity credentials, and use built-in agent technology to actively and passively map networks. Investigate how managed and unmanaged devices interact with critical assets and utilize device control from a unified interface to control IoT and suspicious or unmanaged devices.

To learn more, book a free live demo.

Conclusion

In conclusion, remote working has now been adopted by most organizations worldwide, and this mass adoption brought along several security risks that each organization needs to address. From phishing attacks to unsecured networks and poor endpoint protection to shadow IT, remote working security risks are of various types, and they continuously change over time. It is important to note that businesses must understand these risks and implement proper security strategies that protect sensitive data and employees. This means that organizations have to revisit security policies, adopt adequate best practices, and invest in new security capabilities.

SentinelOne Singularity™ XDR is another solution that offers businesses state-of-the-art protection against myriad cyber threats. With SentinelOne comes the assurance of real-time visibility and automated response, coupled with proactive hunting for threats, thus adequately protecting business enterprise environments, which are now going remote. Contact us today to find out how our solutions can improve your remote workforce’s security and help your business stay resilient against emerging cyber threats.

Faqs:

1. What are some of the most common security risks associated with remote working?

The most common security risks associated with remote working are:

• Unsecured home Wi-Fi networks
• Use of personal, unmanaged devices (BYOD – Bring Your Own Devices)
• Phishing and social engineering attacks targeting remote workers
• Insufficient data encryption
• Poor password hygiene, lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA), and data non-compliance.

2. How can public Wi-Fi pose a security risk to remote workers?

Public Wi-Fi networks-such as those at coffee shops or airports-are often unsecured, and hackers may intercept data through them.

3. What can employers do to secure the home devices of their remote workers?

Employers can:

• Implement a BYOD policy with stringent security requirements
• Engage in and expect the use of corporate-approved antivirus software
• Ensure all systems’ software and operating systems are up to date
• Offer training to employees on the best security practices
• Provide company-owned, managed devices for critical jobs

4. What can remote workers do for themselves to prevent phishing?

Remote workers should do the following:

• They shouldn’t open an email from an unknown sender or one disguising a familiar address.
• Never open attachments or click links from unknown sources.
• Don’t fall victim to claims or urgencies. Organizations also issue such orders in rare cases.
• Authenticate using 2FA. Install an extra layer of security for your accounts.
• Know more about advanced phishing tactics. Keep themselves updated on the latest methods of phishing.

5. What should a remote worker do in case of a suspected security breach?

They should:

• Notify the IT department immediately. Inform them of the incident as soon as possible so they may respond appropriately.
• Disconnect from the internet. If they use a compromised device, disconnect it to halt the spread of damage.
• Do not attempt to investigate the security incident yourself. Let the experts do their job and take over control.
• Adopt company protocols and organizational policies. Exercise the breach response plans and lines of action recommended by them.