Cyber Security for Employees Working at Home

Remote work has become the new norm. As a result, Security Boulevard reports that 23% of information security professionals have experienced increased cybersecurity incidents.

Cybercriminals are finding new opportunities as the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed the way we do business. The Society for Human Resource Development (SHRM) warns that, “Remote-access technologies are exposed to more external threats.” And businesses should assume that cybercriminals will gain access to their network.

What You Can Do To Protect Your Business from Remote Cyber Crime

As a business owner, your first order of protection is your IT specialists. Ask them how to protect your organization’s information. They know your systems and can offer advice unique to your circumstances.

We are not experts in cybersecurity, but we wanted to offer you the following tips. They will help you educate yourself on good security as you speak to your IT experts.

• Monitor more closely employees’ transactions while working at home.
• Remind employees against phishing tactics in phony emails. Criminals are taking advantage of the disruption in your employees’ days. The new normal is chaotic and confusing. Remind them not to click on file attachments or links. Use extreme caution when it comes to company emails.
• Encrypt sensitive information sent to or from remote devices.
• Give employees contact info for IT personnel. Encourage them to call with any suspicious activity they encounter.
• If employees are using their personal devices, have them strengthen their passwords. A strong password contains at least 10 characters. It should include numbers, symbols, capital letters, and lower case letters.
• Have employees install firewalls in their home computers. This in addition to the company firewall.
• Keep security software updated. Ask your employees to install them right after receiving them.
• Back up all of your data.
• Monitor third parties such as consultants or former employees who have temporary access to your computer network. And remember to deactivate access when they’ve completed their work.
• Train employees in cybersecurity. It takes just one click on a corrupt link or one failure to fix a flaw to make you vulnerable to a cyberattack.

We’ve published some excellent articles on cybersecurity for businesses. This article is for your employees. It explains the nature of typical attacks such as phishing, spear phishing, ransomware, and more.

Here we explain cybersecurity insurance. And from this article are links to four more on your business and cyber exposures and liability.

So call us to evaluate your risk and offer the insurance coverage that fits your business. The “new normal” is more dangerous than ever as cyber criminals do their best to take advantage. We can help.

Until next time,
Your SZW Team

SZW Insurance is your Utica area Trusted Choice™ independent insurance agent. Call us for a quote on insurance for your home, car, business, or life at 315.792.0000. Or request a quote here. In Westchester County call Zak Scalzo at 914.246.0315 or email at zaks@szwinsurance.com.