IT experts: Head off lax cybersecurity habits from remote work before reopening the office

2. Control personal device use

3. Make safe cybersecurity practices a condition of working remotely

While some employees may be returning to the office soon, many will continue to work remotely on a full-time or part-time basis. In fact, 90% of organizations plan to implement a hybrid model that blends remote and return to office work modes. For these situations, businesses should establish guidelines that make safe cybersecurity practices a condition of working remotely. Employees who don’t follow the rules could be asked to return to the office full-time. These guidelines could include staying current on cybersecurity training, always utilizing VPN when connecting to company systems, or zero instances of a cybersecurity breach. 

4. Require refresher cybersecurity training

Returning employees to the workplace is the perfect opportunity to provide them with refresher training on cybersecurity best practices. In some cases, they may not even be aware of behavior that puts the company at risk. They might not know that their personal device’s antivirus software is out of date or the risks associated with connecting to the public Wi-Fi at Starbucks.  

5. Create a safe environment to report cybersecurity threats

Employees are an important line of defense for companies when it comes to data security and system integrity. Unfortunately, many employees don’t feel comfortable bringing mistakes or concerns to light. Tessian found that 27% of employees feared disciplinary action or being required to take additional training if they reported cybersecurity issues.   While it’s important to address these concerns, be sure that your company isn’t sending the wrong message to employees. Make sure that you create a safe environment for them to report potential threats to the business without fear of retaliation.

6. Evaluate business travel guidelines

As travel restrictions ease, IT experts are expecting cybercriminals to target business travelers by disguising themselves as travel agents, hotel or airline employees, or company executives. To make matters worse, business travelers are the most vulnerable as they connect to hotspots in airports, hotels, and public transportation.    Providing special training to employees who travel frequently or providing them with secure options to connect can help mitigate this risk. 

7. Test your cybersecurity program

Phishing attacks are the most prevalent type of cybersecurity breach.The FBI reported that instances of phishing have doubled in the last year. The majority of IT leaders believe that this number will continue to increase as people return to the office.    In addition to training employees, you can also test your own systems. There are companies and software that specialize in this type of evaluation by sending employees fake phishing emails. The company then receives a report that outlines the areas of risk and how to improve them. 

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