As employees return to the office, cyber threats remain one of the key challenges that businesses face. Having a cyber security plan in place is crucial to secure the company’s network security and other assets. This article will explore the cyber security concerns and actionable steps to keep your company and data safe.
As restrictions ease, some companies are bringing employees back to the office part-time or full-time. Others continue to offer remote work options as a hybrid solution to provide flexibility for employees and protect against future outbreaks.
Office work resumption is a gradual process that requires careful planning and communication. Businesses are balancing the need to protect their employees’ health with maintaining business operations and productivity.
The complexity of the return to office varies depending on the industry and business location. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to shift to remote work, and many companies are now re-evaluating their office space and employee policies.
With a mix of remote and in-person work, companies must adjust their cyber security strategies to address the increased risk of remote access attacks, phishing, social engineering schemes, and physical security breaches.
Returning to the office brings new challenges and considerations, such as implementing new health and safety protocols and addressing the increased risk of cyber threats. Companies must consider the impact on their operations and educate employees on the latest security best practices.
The shift from remote work to a mix of remote and in-person work can create new vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit. Here are ways cyberattacks may increase as employees return to the office:
As remote access to company networks and resources increase, new vulnerabilities, such as unsecured remote access connections and the risk of cyber attacks occur.
By distracting employees, phishing and social engineering attacks can get their way into the company resources. As such, employees may need to become more familiar with the new cyber security protocols and network security procedures.
The opportunities for physical security breaches, such as stolen laptops or other sensitive devices, may increase. In addition, these breaches can lead to data breaches and other cyber attacks.
A cyber attack or data breach can significantly impact a business’s reputation and lead to non-compliance with regulations. Therefore, companies must stay informed of the latest cyber security threats and focus on protecting their networks, data, and customers.
In keeping up-to-date with the latest cyber threats, businesses must implement best practices, such as regular software updates, antivirus, employee training, and incident response plans. Below are the most common cyber security threats facing businesses:
Phishing is a malware attack where attackers use email, text messages, or social media to trick individuals into providing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial information.
These attackers put the organization at risk by stealing login credentials to gain access to company networks. Phishing attacks operate through emails or SMS that appear to be from a legitimate source, such as a bank, a well-known company, friend or colleague.
These messages usually contain a link or an attachment that, when clicked, directs the victim to a website that steals personal information.
Social engineering attacks, on the other hand, manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that put their organization at risk. These attacks can take many forms, such as pretexting, baiting, quid pro quo, and tailgating.
Pretexting occurs when an attacker creates a fake identity or situation to gain trust and convince a victim to disclose sensitive information. Baiting, on the other hand, is when an attacker offers a reward or incentive in exchange for personal information. Quid pro quo involves an attacker demanding information in exchange for something.
To protect against phishing and social engineering attacks, businesses should educate their employees on safe computing practices. The company must educate staff on how to identify and report suspicious emails and social media messages.
In addition, businesses should consider using email security solutions such as spam filters, email encryption, and multi-factor authentication. These measures can prevent and detect phishing and social engineering attacks.
Ransomware attack encrypts a victim’s files, making them inaccessible until the company pays a ransom. As a result, ransomware attacks increasingly target businesses and cause significant disruption of production and financial losses.
In addition, paying the ransom does not guarantee that the attacker will provide the decryption key, and some organizations have had to pay multiple ransoms to regain access to their files.
To protect against ransomware attacks, businesses can implement countermeasures, including:
APTs are targeted attacks launched by advanced cybercriminals to gain long-term access to a victim’s network. Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are typically highly skilled and well-funded attackers. APTstakes a multi-stage attack process, which includes reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation, command and control.
APTs are challenging to defend against as they are specific to a target and use stealthy techniques to evade detection. To protect against APTs, organizations need a multi-layered security approach that includes network security, endpoint security, incident response, and threat hunting.
DDoS overwhelms a website or network with a flood of traffic, making it inaccessible to legitimate users. DDoS attacks can significantly impact businesses, as they can cause websites and networks to become unavailable, leading to lost revenue.
DDoS attacks also act as a smokescreen to distract IT security personnel while other malicious activities occur. Businesses need incident response plans to quickly and effectively respond to a DDoS attack.
This threat occurs when an employee, contractor, or other insider intentionally or unintentionally causes harm to an organization’s network or data.
Cybersecurity threats are significantly increasing in operational technology and internet of things (IoT) devices. This threat targets industrial and manufacturing environments.
Cryptojacking involves the unauthorized use of a computer to mine cryptocurrency. Hackers can install crypto mining software on a computer or mobile device, using the device’s resources to mine cryptocurrency.
Remote access helps employees to connect to company networks and resources from outside the office. However, the increased need for remote access may open the way for new vulnerabilities and increase the risk of cyber attacks.
Here are a few remote access concerns that businesses should be wary of:
Ways of Securing Remote Access to the Company Networks and Resources
Businesses should implement secure remote access protocols, such as multi-factor authentication and VPNs, and provide employee education on cyber security best practices to address these remote access concerns. In addition, businesses can identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities by regularly monitoring and auditing remote access connections.
It’s paramount for businesses to stay vigilant and address these risks by implementing secure remote access controls, employee education on cyber security best practices, and putting proper physical security measures in place.
Businesses can implement various best practices to protect themselves from cyber attacks. Here are a few key steps that companies can take to protect themselves:
Physical security measures are paramount aspects of protecting businesses against cyber attacks. These cyber attack prevention measures help protect a company’s assets, such as devices, networks, and data centers, from unauthorized access, theft, or damage.
Therefore, businesses must implement physical security measures as part of their overall cyber security strategy. Here are ways that these security measures can help protect against cyber attacks:
Implementing security measures is essential to protecting businesses against cyber attacks and data breaches. Here are actions companies can take to protect their resources:
As employees return to the office, businesses must develop a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that considers all aspects of the organization. Businesses can identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities and protect against cyber attacks by implementing new cyber security protocols and physical security measures.
In addition, companies should stay vigilant and address these increased risks by reviewing their current security measures and proactively protecting against attacks. Keeping the software updated ensures that the latest malware signatures and security updates help to protect against the latest threats.
If you want to implement best practices and reduce cyber security risks, contract with a reputable IT field service company. The IT field service company will work with your internal IT department to improve security in your office.
