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Remote Work Poses Data Breach Dangers During Coronavirus Lockdown

March 16, 2020
A hacker in a balaclava and striped shirt reaches out of a laptop screen to steal login credentials from another laptop.

Remember when blizzards, pandemics, power outages, and other big events would shut down the world for days or even weeks? Not anymore. Better ways to stay connected are enabling companies to keep on chugging through less than ideal conditions. But as more workers log in from the couch or the café, cybercriminals are ready to pounce on the new vulnerabilities that remote work can expose.  

Employees working remotely can create all sorts of cybersecurity issues, especially when things are a bit chaotic. By doing risky things like logging in from insecure WiFi networks or swapping data unsafely between personal and work devices, remote workers can provide bad actors with the openings that get them right through a company’s cybersecurity defenses. A few simple steps and the right tools make it easy for companies to take precautions against opportunistic cyberattacks.   

Increase password security – A stolen or cracked password is the fastest, easiest way for cybercriminals to breach your data and systems. Hackers can easily pluck passwords from poorly secured WiFi networks, even in places that employees might believe are low risk like a library or hotel. Using two-factor authentication provided by a tool like Passly adds an important layer of security that keeps the bad guys out.  

Don’t get caught by phishing – An increased desire for information plus the sense of safety that comes from being at home can be a recipe for cybersecurity disaster. Staffers will be tempted to click on strange links, open spurious email attachments, download hazardous apps, and transfer files dangerously between work and home devices. Training and testing through BullPhish ID can get staffers up to speed quickly to defend against the dangers posed by emails, links, maps, PDFs, infographics, and other infection vectors.  

Stay alert for trouble – Looking out for potential cybersecurity risks on the Dark Web may seem like less of a priority when day-to-day operations are strained, but the right monitoring can mean the difference between a potential cybersecurity issue and a very real (and very expensive) data breach. With DarkWeb ID, constant Dark Web monitoring for a company’s sensitive information means that victims are informed quickly that they’ve been compromised and can take measures to stop bad actors before they start stealing data, deploying ransomware or doing other devastating damage. 

Beware of the “Captive Vulnerability Zone”– Signing in to sensitive work systems on public WiFi is like sailing through shark-infested waters – and the sharks are cybercriminals trying to steal login credentials. A VPN is the safest way to go, but The Captive Vulnerability Zone created while connecting through a software VPN can offer cybercriminals a golden opportunity to inject malicious JavaScript or steal passwords. Navigate through it safely by using a hardware VPN that isolates captive portals to mitigate the risk to both devices and data.

When unavoidable events unfold that disrupt normal life, cybercriminals are ready to make the most of every new chance that they get to snatch information. Using the right solutions to create an agile cybersecurity strategy means that unexpected remote work doesn’t give them those chances– because every business has enough on its plate in uncertain times without adding in the complications of a data breach.