COVID-19 Outbreak: Security Challenges while Working from Home and tips to stay safe

The complete lockdown has brought numerous challenges for different industries. Though, most of them were capable to manage the work from home scenarios, some of them still struggling. Employees are using their devices to access office data, this increases the cyber risks since their devices and home networks are not sufficiently equipped to tackle such threats.

Security risk in remote working

During this time of lockdown, it is threats like phishing scams related to coronavirus that will be more prevalent. A lack of IT resources can bite organizations as they are moving to adapt work from home strategies.

Indeed, hackers and threat actors are cashing in on the helplessness and vulnerabilities of the end-user with the rise of the pandemic COVID-19.

According to Govind Rammurthy- MD & CEO- Mircroworld Technologies Inc. - Tackling this challenge is not easy for anyone. A lot depends on how aware you are about the various attack methodologies of these threat actors and hence, we make sure to create a lot of awareness about it through our digital channels.

With Hackers and threat actors trying to infiltrate businesses by plotting against their technologically challenged employees, the onus us upon security solution providers like us to protect business continuity. We offer technologies that can give organizations better control over their employees’ online activities while keeping them safe even in a work from home scenario.

Ever since the work from home orders has been issued by governments of various countries, we have seen a steep rise in our corporate range of products which has enhanced features like an advanced firewall, Anti-spam, better asset management and outbreak prevention tool along with a secure browsing experience.

Also, hackers, today are constantly on the lookout for information – for, information and data is power for them. Majority of the recent attacks on Enterprises have proven that the bad players have got into networks & sensitive systems, stolen data and the same is being put up on dark web for monetary benefits. WFH has further intensified these kinds of attacks, as constant monitoring within networks has become a huge challenge.

Tips/Practices for working remotely

Update to the latest - Since the employees are not working in the secure networks of their offices, cybercriminals can exploit the situation to attack data, both personal and business-related. To safeguard against such disastrous events, employees working from home must ensure that their home Wi-Fi connection is sufficiently secure, anti-virus software are updated to the latest and are in place.

This is very important as some of the installations may be older and not updated, which can expose data to criminals who may be scanning employees’ traffic, said Trishneet Arora, Founder, and CEO - TAC Security. They must also check for all security updates like tools for privacy, browser add-ons, and other necessary patches. The same must be hygiene-checked regularly.

Access through a secure VPN - Akshat Jain, Co-founder, and CTO, Cyware, advised to access the company network only through secure VPN connections. Several infrastructure changes have also been made to cope with additional network traffic during remote work conditions. Certain critical applications are protected with additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication to prevent any unauthorized access to company and client data.

Content filtration - Children at home can expose your device for vulnerability, Parental Control tool would make sure that while they are focusing on their work from home, and kids have increased their screen time, they can still filter content and they know that the children will be safe online, said Ritesh Chopra, Director Sales & Field Marketing, Norton. And make sure that your software patches are updated, whether it's a media player, or browser or operating system. All your apps are updated because that could be a big vulnerability.

Avoid using public Wi-Fi - Besides following common security etiquettes such as using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, organizations should ensure that their employees are cognizant of new emerging threats and vulnerabilities that can be used to target them. The use of unsecured public WiFi networks should be avoided as it can allow hackers to deploy malicious exploits to intercept the private communication of employees.

Employees should also avoid the use of personal devices or online accounts for work purposes, ensure the physical safety of their devices, and be vigilant about phishing attempts. In these precarious times, it is imperative that organizations and individuals adopt a proactive stance on cybersecurity to avoid falling prey to malicious attacks and ensure business continuity.

Phishing emails - Employees need to remember that phishing mail scamsters are smart and any failure to recognize these important tips can prove to be disastrous, as ransomware can cause tremendous damage, where all can be lost with no backup. Therefore, a suitable back-up strategy must be adopted by all employees to secure important personal and work-related data.