How to Protect Workplace from Cybersecurity Threats

Stealing personal property, conducting fraudulent activities and asking for ransom are common crimes seen in the physical world. Now businesses need to deal with cybercrimes of the same nature. One of the big distinctions is that cybercriminals anywhere in the world can carry out cybercrimes against any business. Worldwide, businesses are losing millions and billions of dollars of money due to data breaches, cyberattacks and other cyber crimes. 

More often than not, large corporations affected by cyberattacks are reported in the media and news. However, there are many small and medium enterprises which are impacted by cybersecurity threats every year. 

Cybersecurity is, therefore, something to be taken seriously by business leaders. It is high time that key decision-makers hire high-calibre security professionals, put the effort into building a team, develop strategies and install security programs. 

Remember, your employee, assets and devices connected to the internet are the primary means through which cyberattacks occur. There are several ways businesses can protect the workplace from cybersecurity threats. Following best practices, training your employees and strengthening operations by putting various measures in place can help. 

This blog aims to share effective ways in which you can protect the workplace from the latest cybersecurity threats. In addition, remote work culture has become integral to the business. As a result, various challenges and risks have come into the limelight. Thus, we will share valuable tips on how to protect the remote workplace from the latest threats as well.  

Enterprise Security Protection

Various organizations are exposed to cybersecurity risks due to the action or inaction of the employees. Human errors are considered one of the top factors that lead to data breaches and successful cybersecurity attacks. 

An employee sending sensitive company information to the wrong person by accident, system misconfigurations done by employees or IT people, clicking on suspicious links and not alerting the professionals in case of any cyber attack event are some examples. 

Plus, weak passwords, unencrypted files and no data backup plans put organizations at great risk. 

To combat these issues, organizations need to have robust enterprise security protection. The latest technologies, advanced tactics and valuable processes must be put in place to protect digital assets from gaining unauthorised access. 

Securing Business Communications

Since the pandemic, organizations are facing the challenge of securing business communication. As employees are working from different places across the country and sometimes even throughout the world, collaborations through communication mediums need to be secure. 

Thus, several new tools and applications have come into the picture and become integral to business functions and performance. Businesses are already making a huge jump and leaning into embracing digital transformation. However, there are concerns.

Sensitive and critical information is often shared via the communication channels such as Teams, Zoom or Google Meet. In the last few years, various incidents of attacks, impersonation and hacking have come to the fore. 

Business organizations need to find a solution to make communication channels more secure and ensure that no company information is accessed or leaked by cybercriminals. 

Combating Malware Attacks

Malware attacks are common methods used by cybercriminals to gain access to companies worldwide. It often succeeds due to employee mistakes. Phishing emails and social engineering tactics are used to trick people into downloading malware-infected files and apps. They are usually attractive and tempting to the eyes of the user. 

In the recent past, there are new methods cybercriminals are employing to impact business with malware. They are phishing via SMS and text messages instead of emails. 

So, how can business organizations combat malware attacks? Internet and computer system have become integral to businesses. Therefore, training sessions and education are the only ways to counter malware campaigns run by threat actors. 

Employees should be aware of trending malware attack methods, and the need to check URL links before clicking on them. In addition, users need to be aware of warning signs of an impending attack as well as the steps to be taken in case of a cyber attack. 

Data Backup

Organization, first of all, should have a data backup plan. If your company ticks that box, it is indeed a good start. However, in addition to the backup process, the mechanism to test that process is important too. It helps in knowing that recovery is possible and there is nothing to fear if data is lost. It is an essential component of a business continuity plan.

Additionally, an efficient data backup can help your organization in different events other than cyber attacks. It includes damage to the building, fire, flood or any other unforeseeable circumstances. It will eventually help in minimizing losses and faster recovery.

Efficient Management of Devices 

Security challenges are on the rise due to Bring Your Own Device and Software-as-a-Service applications. They are increasing in demand. As mentioned before, training employees regarding security problems is necessary. Plus, following best practices that can safeguard the whole organization is a must. 

Focussing on mobile security is a must as employees used mobile devices for business communication and other essential tasks. A security policy for mobile devices can go a long way in securing businesses. MDM/UEM systems are quite popular in the corporate field.

Remote Work

  • Cybersecurity risks associated with remote work are growing. We have briefly touched upon a few aspects of it in the last section. Find out more about them below.
  • Remote work, especially done on a large scale increases the potential attack surface. The use of cloud storage, connected supply chain and physical and digital systems have given rise to new challenges. Employees who work from home often end up using technological tools and applications without the guidance of IT security professionals, thus exposing themselves and putting companies at risk. Traditional network parameters, firewalls and intrusion detection systems used for defending systems no more help the remote work culture. 
  • The lack of sufficient security staff is hurting businesses as it is not able to cover and protect remote work. Recruitment and retention are big problems in the security industry. In addition, it is nearly impossible to extend monitoring of all endpoints and remote work environments available. 
  • Remote workers download unencrypted information on their devices and use unsafe channels to share emails and files. It also makes them more susceptible to phishing attacks. 
  • Those working from home use their laptops, routers and smartphones to perform business functions. However, not updating software and securing them leaves them exposed. The use of public Wi-Fi and unsecured networks also increases the chance of cyberattacks. IT professionals may lay down a step-by-step process to update the router and other applications. However, a lack of expertise in the field can prevent employees from executing it successfully.     
  • Recently, experts have observed that hackers are now targeting vulnerabilities in enterprise networking equipment that support remote work. This is indeed dangerous and needs to be prevented. Companies should train remote working employees about vulnerabilities in technologies. For example, video conferencing tools like Zoom were hacked and bombed by cybercriminals during the meetings of big corporates. Not only disruption, but hackers can also retrieve additional information such as user email addresses, and corporate data for conducting other malicious campaigns.
  • Remote work also opens up opportunities for social engineering attacks. Exploiting employees at their homes is much more easy and detrimental to the organization. 

Employees working from remote locations can follow cybersecurity best practices to reduce the chances of a cyber attack or data breach. The major ones are listed below.

  • Implement and follow basic security protocols such as VPN to access enterprise systems, robust password policy and encryption
  • Follow strategies that address and manage risky vulnerabilities 
  • Updating threat detection and incident response initiatives
  • Using Zero-Trust model
  • Using Behaviour Analytics will help in finding suspicious activities or patterns of behaviour 
  • Robust cloud configurations
  • Ongoing training and education sessions for employees