- Transition to remote work has opened companies up to more cybersecurity vulnerabilities
- In recent survey by security firm Malwarebytes, one in five respondents said they experienced a security breach due to an employee working remotely
- Companies can take steps such as improving their security policies and increasing trainings to offer safeguards
Businesses that transitioned to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic were often able to do so in such a way that employees were satisfied that their employer was prepared for the shift. However, cybersecurity was often overlooked during the change.
Forty-four percent of respondents in a report from the security firm Malwarebytes said they didn’t provide employees with training on cybersecurity issues related to working from home, while 45 percent didn’t analyze security or privacy features in software needed for remote work. Sixty-eight percent said they didn’t deploy new antivirus protections for devices issued by the company for working from home.
One in five respondents said their company had experienced a security breach due to a remote worker, and about one in four had to pay money to address unexpected security issues. More than half said training employees to work securely and compliantly at home was a major challenge, and 45 percent said their biggest cybersecurity challenge was that devices used at home were more exposed and more likely to be used by others in the household.
Malwarebytes suggests that companies can improve cybersecurity during remote work by taking steps like strengthening their security policies for working from home, hosting more trainings, and establishing a permanent work from home model.
