New research has recently been published which suggests there has been a lack of security awareness training for remote workers, even with the massive increase in people working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased threat level.
Many companies have had to make major changes to policies and allow most employees to work from home, even though doing so introduces cybersecurity risks. While this is seen by many as a temporary measure due to the pandemic, there is currently some debate about how long lockdown measures will be in place. It could well be many months before lockdowns are eased and there is a return to “normal” working life. It may also be difficult to convince workers to return to the office when measures are eased, or at least until a vaccine for the virus has been developed. That could well be a year or most likely much longer.
In the meantime, remote workers are not just encountering the odd phishing email. These workers are being actively targeted by cybercriminals and APT groups. It is important to ensure that technical controls are up to scratch and are blocking threats but also to train workers to recognize threats such as phishing.
Technical Controls Will Not Block 100% of Cybersecurity Threats
Technical solutions can block most malware and phishing attacks on remote workers and will protect devices and the networks to which those devices connect. TitanHQ has developed two solutions that provide excellent protection from email and web-based threats, and there has been a massive increase in demand for those solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic from businesses and managed service providers (MSPs).
When these solutions are coupled with other cybersecurity protections such as firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems, businesses will be well protected; however, no matter how many layers are added to your defenses, security awareness training for remote workers should still be provided. Employees are the last line of defense and require training to help them identify threats that bypass your technical defenses.
Employees are a Weak Link, but Neglecting Security Awareness Training for Remote Workers is a Mistake
One study recently conducted on IT workers by Apricorn revealed 57% of IT decision makers in the United Kingdom believe remote workers are a security risk and will expose organizations to data breaches and that there is apathy among IT leaders about training the workforce as employees are not concerned about security. 34% of IT leaders said their remote workers do not care about security, but that is not a reason not to provide training. It is a reason to reinforce training and get employees to buy into the company’s security strategy.
Another survey, conducted by Promon on 2,000 remote workers in the United Kingdom, confirmed those findings. The study revealed 66% of employees have not been provided cybersecurity training in the last 12 months, even though cybercriminals are actively targeting remote workers. It is also concerning that 77% of respondents were not worried about the security threat from working from home. The survey also revealed that 61% of employees are using personal devices to work from home instead of corporate-issued devices, which typically have far fewer protections in place to block threats.
Given the numbers of employees working from home due to COVID-19 and the increase in threats targeting those workers, now is the time to be stepping up training and to make sure employees are working in a secure environment. TitanHQ can help you better protect employees and the devices they use to work from home, but you should also ensure that cybersecurity training is reinforced.