With companies embracing workations during the summer, cybersecurity experts are worried about the cost. Does working from beaches really lead to breaches?
In summer, many companies let their workers swap the office for a holiday setting. Unfortunately, improvised remote work can become a cybersecurity nightmare.
According to Andrius Buinovskis, a cybersecurity expert at NordLayer, a toggle-ready cybersecurity platform for business, remote work opens the door for an array of security vulnerabilities.
The problem mostly stems from remote workers using unsecured public networks as crooks can exploit them to steal credentials, spread malware, and hijack accounts, among other things.
"Employees that change their routines are more likely to reduce VPN usage due to distractions. Due to their unfamiliarity with the environment, they're also an attractive target for scammers, and their lack of vigilance can make them more likely to fall for phishing scams in general," says Buinovskis.
He also emphasized that people on workation tend to use personal devices, which often run outdated software and lack centralized security, making them more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Additionally, they frequently allow family members to use their work devices. If they travel with work-issued computers, experts fear these devices could be stolen, potentially triggering a significant data breach.
Does this mean that the company should scrap this great perk and not let employees go on workation? Not necessarily, as there are ways to protect your company’s assets while still being generous and fair to your employees.
"High observability into employee activity and centralized security are crucial for defending against remote work-related cyber threats, especially because personal devices and unauthorized applications greatly expand a company's attack surface," Buinovskis says.
"Given the real risk of data breaches and the financial and reputational damage they could potentially cause, overlooking security gaps is a serious gamble that isn't worth taking."
How to safeguard the company during workation
- Make sure data in transit is secured – strong network encryption is everything
- Enforce strict password management policies
- Enforce multifactor authentication
- Rely on zero trust architecture
- Segment the network
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