Work-from-home policies and social distancing protocols have been widely adopted by organisations across the globe, regardless of the size of their operations, to safeguard not just their employees’ but their own interests too. However, as a result of this major paradigm shift, the newly remote workforce has got exposed to highly unsecured work environments from a cybersecurity point of view, and this is making businesses in various verticals highly vulnerable to a plethora of unprecedented cybersecurity risks.
In times like these, organisations need to seriously consider laying a strong foundation for enterprise-grade cybersecurity policies as if it’s a dire necessity and not just an option anymore. In this article, we share expert advice on how to achieve this goal in the shortest amount of time possible, and what actions your IT team can take on an urgent basis to avoid the potential cyber threats that might arise as your staff continues to work remotely.
It’s a common misconception that cybersecurity metrics aren’t quantifiable. But in fact, you can measure the cybersecurity strength of your organisation just as easily as you monitor your revenue and other business metrics. By ensuring that your IT team regularly monitors and reports on what cybersecurity measures are currently in place, and what cybersecurity standards and protocols are being strictly followed, you are sure to achieve a significant reduction in the risk of potential cyber threats to your business.
When it comes to cybersecurity risks, it’s important to note that your confidential business data is only as secure as the weakest link in your organisation. More often than not, it’s the mistakes of one or more employees that result in the most damages incurred as a result of subsequent cyber-attacks. Based on research, the biggest reason for such mistakes is the organisation choosing not to invest in cybersecurity awareness training for their staff. However, there’s a huge cost to pay for those savings, including but not limited to the fines you pay to the ICO for not adhering the guidelines issued under the GDPR act, if even a single cybersecurity breach occurs due to employees’ lack of awareness on the topic.
Also, now that employees are working remotely, it’s essential to make them aware of the dangers of using unsecured internet connections or personal devices for work, apart from the various phishing and other cyber attacks that are doing rounds in various circles across the world wide web (including how bad actors are influencing those unaware, using COVID-19 related content). Most importantly, they need to be trained on how to practice cyber hygiene at all times, without fail. With new challenges arising every day, it’s essential to keep your staff updated with the latest cybersecurity advice with the help of regular training sessions by cybersecurity experts.
With your staff working remotely, it has now become more crucial than ever to correctly update to accommodate remote work arrangements. The updates should contain solutions mentioned in this post and many more, depending on the organisation’s current business operations and various other factors. It’s relatively easy to work with cybersecurity experts to figure out what will be the most suitable additions to this policy for your case.
Having said this, it’s even more important to properly enforce these policies across the board. Discuss with your IT team on this and find ways to ensure your staff members are adhering to these policies at all times, while they are working remotely.
In times like these, no organisation can afford to handle a cyberattack. If you don’t want to risk the future of your business, take measures to safeguard your organisation from potential cyber threats, and reach out to a team of cybersecurity professionals to seek recommendations on what needs to be done. Very soon, your company will be on track to achieve its cybersecurity goals!
If you would like to learn about what your staff can do to stay safe online when working remotely, read our post here!
For more information on what steps an IT Support Company can undertake to secure the best interests of your business, read our second article in this series, here.
