Security Training Recommended While Working Remote

One of the seismic shifts in the business world caused by Covid-19 is the quick adoption of a remote workforce. With cubicles replaced by couches and communication relegated to the realm of cyberspace, the entire workplace has shifted into our living rooms, dining rooms, and home offices.

A distributed workforce naturally weakens the corporate security structure. This has lead to a meteoric rise in the number of cyber-attacks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Exploits such as phishing attacks have increased like never before.

Deploying a remote workforce in the best of times has its challenges, making this happen in a matter of days or weeks can put your organization at higher risk as standard security measures are often passed over in favor of a speedy deployment.

Because of the inherit risky nature of remote work mixed with the speed at which many have been pushed into this arena, the importance of end-user training is more important than ever before. Unless your business has a structured user security training program, your organization could be heading for a cyber disaster.

The world changed overnight. Uncertainty, in countless forms, has gripped us all. Many of our staff have been compelled to work remotely. We have taken our workforce from a familiar, comfortable, controlled office, and placed them into their homes, which for most is an unfamiliar work environment. Additionally, many are using their personal devices to access corporate assets.

Companies have asked staff to be a productive employee as the world spins out of control around them. With all this going on, security is often the last thing on anyone’s mind.

Adding to the mayhem, hackers and scammers are hammering our staff with phishing emails and other nefarious plots to compromise their devices. It is not a shocking surprise that right now it’s very easy for our remote workers to lose focus and fall prey to cyber-scams.

One of your staff becoming a hacker’s latest victim can lead to corporate data leaks and loss of confidential business information. Breaches, information leaks, and crypto locker can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on your business.

The need for user security training in the current business climate cannot be dismissed or placed on a to-do list for later. By focusing on end-user training today, you stand to promote a culture of safe work habits which in turn protects your organization and its cyber assets.  We have more information about security training here.

It is no secret that older adults are often a target for fraud and scams. Additionally, as we navigate through a post-Covid new normal, it is becoming clearer that “at-risk” and older employees will be encouraged to continue remote working for an extended period.

Combining the above two items, it can be surmised that this segment of your workforce may be at a higher risk of phishing attempts, viruses, and cyber scams.

Because most older adults hold senior-level positions, it is likely this segment of staff will also be dealing with more sensitive and business-critical data. Unfortunately, a breach on their end could have disastrous consequences. Therefore, you need to ensure that they receive proper user security training.

Once again, we encourage your organization to implement a strong security training program to reduce your overall risk of cyber exposure and you may consider paying special attention to your more senior staff who may not be as technologically savvy.

In a normal world, end-user training is important to help keep your business safe in the cyber world. Security training for end-users is now even more critical in maintaining your organization’s cyber-health in these not so normal times of Covid-19.

The expanded remote workforce is here to stay. At-risk and older adults working from home may just become the new normal.

If you have not already done so, starting TODAY, your business needs to take proactive steps to implement a user security training program. The support for a security training program must come from the top of the organization so that it becomes part of the corporate culture. This focus on security will go a long way in protecting your company’s cyber assets.