Companies with a remote workforce must navigate significant data security challenges that do not typically affect organizations with a more traditional, onsite approach to their IT environment. Remote work provides companies and employees with flexibility and supports business continuity. Unfortunately, it also introduces risks that require companies to modify existing security frameworks to address these threats.
We will examine the specific data security challenges faced by remote workers and the organizations supporting them. We will also discuss possible solutions to protect the valuable data resources that remote employees and contractors must access to perform their roles.
Data Security Challenges Affecting Remote Work
The data security challenges affecting remote work are varied and need to be understood by employers and their mobile workforces. Organizations cannot rely on traditional security measures to protect on-premises workers and IT resources. Companies supporting a remote workforce must address the following key data security challenges.
Expanded attack surface
Remote work unavoidably results in an expanded attack surface that must be protected. Threat actors can use any device to enter the corporate IT environment. The realities of remote work introduce various devices and network components that malicious hackers can exploit.
Items contributing to an expanded attack surface include personal devices like computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Unsecured home network components, such as WiFi routers with outdated firmware, present threat actors with exploitable entry points.
Inconsistent security controls
Companies may implement inconsistent security controls across remote work environments that put data at risk. Remote devices may not support the level of encryption necessary to protect sensitive information. Users may be engaged in Shadow IT by using unapproved apps for business purposes. Teams may not be able to install security updates across all remote devices.
Phishing and social engineering
Threat actors often target remote workers for phishing and social engineering attacks. These attacks may be disguised as corporate communications to catch an employee off guard. The reduced interaction with coworkers associated with remote work may make these employees more susceptible to social engineering attacks. They might not get warned by other affected employees about phishing attacks.
Data leakage
Sensitive company data may be leaked accidentally by remote workers using unsecured USB devices or personal cloud storage. Malicious insiders can take advantage of their remote location to steal data surreptitiously without fear of being discovered by coworkers.
Compliance and legal issues
Organizations may be exposed to compliance violations by processing regulated data in a remote work environment. For example, users may back up devices to unsecured removable hard drives, potentially compromising sensitive information and violating compliance regulations. Users may encounter legal issues when transferring data from different countries or jurisdictions.
Lack of centralized monitoring
Security teams may have limited visibility into remote endpoints, making it challenging to monitor them effectively. The lack of monitoring can make detecting data breaches, anomalies, or compliance violations impossible in real-time. Threat actors can leverage this fact to infect remote devices and gain entry to the general IT environment.
Inadequate user training
The remote workforce may have received inadequate training regarding their roles and responsibilities in securing company data resources. Users who do not understand the threats inherent in remote work can inadvertently put valuable information at risk.
Best Practices to Improve Data Security for Remote Work
Organizations should consider the following best practices to improve data security for a remote workforce.
Implement Zero Trust architecture
A zero-trust architecture assumes threats can originate from entities inside or outside the company network. All access requests are continuously verified as entities move through the environment. The zero trust approach gives users the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks.
Enforce strong endpoint security
Teams should protect remote devices with reliable endpoint security tools. These may include data loss prevention (DLP) applications that monitor and control data movement across cloud resources. A DLP solution mitigates the risk of malicious or unintentional insiders accessing restricted data.
Require secure access methods
Organizations should require all remote workers to use secure access methods when connecting with company resources. Companies should use virtual private networks (VPNs) to encrypt and protect data transmission. Decision-makers should enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) to guard against threat actors using compromised credentials to access the IT environment.
Implement comprehensive data protection solutions
Companies need solutions to protect their valuable data against data loss or corruption. They need reliable data backup and recovery tools to safeguard information stored on-premises and remotely. Organizations should include mission-critical remote devices in disaster recovery plans. Cloud-based backup and recovery solutions provide the flexibility to support a remote workforce.
Emphasize ongoing employee training
Organizations must provide employees with ongoing training to promote a security-focused culture. Education should include investigating new phishing and social engineering techniques to minimize the chance of a successful attack. Remote workers should be encouraged to report suspicious activities targeting company data.
Perform regular security and compliance audits
Security teams should audit remote resources regularly to ensure they align with company guidelines and regulatory standards. Audit results may detect vulnerabilities in remote devices that must be addressed to protect the environment.
How VAST Supports Data Security for Remote Work
We understand the challenges involved with securing data in remote work environments. VAST has several services and solutions to help your company secure its data wherever it is located. Our security experts will help identify and eliminate vulnerabilities that present risks to your valuable data.
Security lifecycle review – Our team uses Palo Alto Security Life Cycle Review to develop a strategy to protect all your systems and data resources.
Cloud access security – We support the Bitglass Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) in managing and protecting data inside and outside the corporate network.
Cloud Backup-as-a-Service (CBaaS) – Our CBaaS solution protects all your data, including enterprise endpoints and remote work environments.
Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) – VAST’s DRaaS solution offers the flexibility to recover systems to different AWS regions for enhanced resilience.
Contact us today and learn how we can help your company secure its remote data.
