As businesses increasingly utilise the hybrid working model, cybersecurity threats have become higher risk. Many businesses require their workforce to be in the office a few days a week and the remaining days they work from home. Others offer ‘work from anywhere’ benefits which raises the risk as people will be logging into WiFi and accessing the company cloud from different countries.
There is a real need to incorporate browser context into cybersecurity strategies as traditional measures are no longer sufficient to protect against sophisticated threats.
Employee vacations happen throughout the year and can add a shift in office dynamics as certain teams spend less time at their desks. For businesses, key vacation periods such as Summer, Christmas and Easter can present unique cybersecurity challenges and can be an ideal time for hackers to target an organisation. Fewer people in the office can lead to lapses in vigilance, making firms more vulnerable to cyber threats.
Our team of cyber experts have put together measures to help companies bolster their cybersecurity whilst we continue to navigate hybrid working, and fill any gaps that could lead to future threats.
Firms must always ensure their security protocols are up-to-date, including updating software and limiting access to any data systems. If people aren’t regularly checking for unusual activity, security must be in place to combat security breaches. To ensure you are not caught out, it’s sensible to regularly rest your data recovery processes to ensure quick and effective responses are in place to restore data if needed.
Physical security should also be considered; businesses must guarantee they have secure laptops, servers, and other critical equipment. All remote workers must use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to secure their internet connections and keep internal company data safe.
It might be essential to avoid certain programmes whilst working remotely. Employees must be reminded to use company-issued devices for work and to keep devices secure when traveling. We would advise the implementation of two factor authentication for all remote access to company systems, adding an extra layer of security.
It goes without saying that teams should be given consistent training to ensure they understand the best practices for cybersecurity. In fact, every employee in the organisation must have the knowledge to identify phishing threats, understand the need for strong passwords and be able to follow a process to handle sensitive information.
Firms should prioritise communication when threats arise to ensure they remain alert to any phishing tactics or emerging threats. It can take just one person to click on the wrong link for an attack to happen.
It’s also sensible to have safe processes in place to facilitate financial approvals all year round. Companies may rely on their CFO or CEO to proceed with purchases, but if they are on vacation or travel frequently with the business, there needs to be a secure back-up option or alternative method established.
Although cyber threats can correlate with vacations and increased flexibility, they can happen when you least expect them. Having the right team of experts to address any issues the business may face. Building a strategy to hypothetical cyber threats can be a great task to perform to ensure the response is successful.
If you are concerned about the safety of data in the organisations or feel your cybersecurity strategy could be sharpened, it might be sensible to outsource extra support from experts. Our cyber security offering includes a range of services from governance and risk mitigation, to managed security services and technology transformation services. Our team of consultants can perform cybersecurity audits and recommend improvements or they can be more hands on and provide monitoring and protection.
By updating security protocols, educating employees, securing remote work and strengthening physical security, firms can protect themselves against potential cyber threats. If you want help from security experts who can provide an extra layer of protection for your organisation.
