When employees work from home or on the move, they may use unsecured networks, personal devices or outdated software. Just one mistake can open the door to cyber criminals, potentially leading to costly data breaches, regulatory penalties, operational disruptions and reputational harm.
Common Cyber Threats Facing Remote & Hybrid Workers:
Phishing Attacks
Vulnerability: Remote employees rely heavily on email and messaging platforms
Potential Cyber Criminal Activity: Cyber criminals exploit this by sending realistic looking messages to trick staff into sharing login credentials or downloading malware.
Business Email Compromise
With fewer face to face interactions, staff may trust urgent or unusual email requests.
Potential Cyber Criminal Activity: Attackers impersonate executives or suppliers in emails to deceive employees into transferring money or exposing sensitive data.
Credential stuffing
Remote workers often juggle multiple logins for cloud base services and may reuse passwords
Potential Cyber Criminal Activity: Attacks can exploit stolen credentials from previous breaches to access company accounts
Ransomware
Employees using personal or less secure devices are vulnerable to malware, including ransomware.
Potential Cyber Criminal Activity: Ransomware encrypts files and may halt operations until a ransom is paid.
Remote desktop protocol attacks
RDP tools are commonly used to connect to office systems but may be poorly secured or exposed online
Potential Cyber Criminal Activity: Attacks exploit these weaknesses to gain unauthorised access to corporate networks
Distributed Denial of Service Attacks
Organisations with a dispersed workforce depend on cloud platforms and remove access systems
Potential Cyber Criminal Activity: Cyber criminals may overwhelm these systems with traffic, causing downtime and disrupting productivity.
Cyber security strategies for employers
Use VPNs to encrypt internet traffic
Enable multi-factor authentication for all log ins
Provide company managed devices with standardised security settings
Keep software updated with regular patches and the latest security fixes
Limited access to sensitive data using the principle of least privilege
Educate employees through ongoing cyber-awareness training
Establish a remote work policy with clear security guidelines
Review cyber insurance cover
Whilst you can put protocols and precautions in place, it doesn’t guarantee that you won’t experience a cyber attack. In the event that you were a victim of a cyber attack, a cyber insurance policy can support your business to get back and running again.
Get in touch with our team today for a no-obligation insurance quote, call us on 01234 242900 or complete our enquiry form and we’ll be in touch whenever is best for you.