Securing the Remote Workforce in the Age of Distributed Work
As enterprises embrace the remote workplace, security teams face a new host of challenges. Many employees are now connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks for the majority of their working hours. As a result, businesses are seeing a rise in data breaches — in 2021, ransomware attacks increased by 6%, phishing grew by 11%, and companies faced 15x more misrepresentation cases. It’s time for enterprises to put a renewed focus on distributed workforce security; it requires a comprehensive security strategy that accounts for the threat vector of public and home networks but is scalable for employees around the world.
Securing the remote workforce is challenging given its distributed nature. Any long-term solution must be able to overcome the following key obstacles:
The Perimeter Has Disappeared
In a traditional perimeter networks, administrators could secure individual endpoints and prevent ransomware attacks at each workstation. Unfortunately, these benefits are limited in remote workplaces, which increases the dangers of:
- Unsecured Home Networks: Employees connecting to unprotected Wi-Fi networks open the door to man-in-the-middle attacks, data interception, and unauthorized access.
- Unmanaged Devices: Personal laptops, smartphones, and tablets used for work may lack proper security controls, making them vulnerable to malware infections.
- Reduced Visibility: IT teams have limited oversight into the security posture of remote devices and home networks, hindering their ability to detect and respond to threats.
The Rise of Hybrid Security Solutions
Most businesses use a combination of endpoint and cloud security. EDR technologies protect endpoints using a combination of next-gen antivirus software, threat detection tools, and data loss protection. They protect devices from the attacks that are caused by user-error: phishing, downloading malware, etc. These platforms are managed by IT security.
Unfortunately, while EDR can protect endpoint devices, it cannot prevent attacks from reaching them in the first place (i.e., lateral movement). Since EDR technologies are installed on the endpoint, they’re governed by the OS, and thus susceptible to bypass vulnerabilities and other evasion tactics.
Many businesses leverage network or cloud-level security to identify suspicious activity throughout their networks. This technique relies on zero-trust principles, which assume endpoints cannot be trusted. In response, these security platforms make granular security assessments by confirming user identities, verifying device posture, and monitoring app activity. SASE and ZTNA solutions allow for security at Layer 7, performing URL filtering, traffic inspection, and data encryption.
Since SASE and ZTNA solutions exist in the cloud, they cannot protect the device from networking attacks, such as fingerprinting, exploiting, and eavesdropping.
The Need for a New Approach: High Assurance Network Access (HANA)
For all the benefits of EDR and SASE/ZTNA security, there is still a gap in protection when devices connect to untrusted Wi-Fi networks. As workplace networks continue to expand and diversify, a new approach for securing remote employees is necessary — High Assurance Network Access (HANA).
HANA asserts that critical actions within a network should be managed with the strongest control mechanisms. Each mechanism is measured against both the degree of control administrators need to secure the system and the level of risk for actions performed within network infrastructure.
HANA provides high assurance security and management of networking assets and their network connections through microsegmentation, complementing IAM and ZTNA solutions. Edge microsegmentation is the first example of HANA-based security — protecting against network attacks while allowing administrators to manage and control remote endpoints.
Securing Remote Endpoints with Byos Secure Endpoint Edge
The Byos Secure Endpoint Edge uses edge microsegmention to secure all endpoints within a public network to meet Zero Trust security objectives more effectively. Here are a few key benefits:
- Network-level Malware Protection: Byos secures the network connection itself, preventing malware from reaching the endpoint in the first place, unlike traditional endpoint security solutions.
- Granular Control and Visibility: Administrators can enforce policies, monitor traffic, and manage remote devices with a high degree of control, even on unmanaged endpoints.
- Seamless User Experience: The Byos solution operates transparently in the background, providing security without disrupting employee productivity.
- Scalable for Distributed Workforces: The cloud-managed platform makes it easy to secure remote employees across multiple locations and networks.
Byos is dedicated to helping organizations protect their network and remote workers against all threats, vulnerabilities, and malicious attacks. By embracing a HANA-based approach to security, enterprises can safeguard their distributed workforce and ensure business continuity in the face of evolving cybersecurity challenges.
Recognizing and Mitigating Remote Work Security Risks
Remote work exposes employees to a higher risk of falling victim to various security threats. Distributed enterprises and their employees should proactively acknowledge and address these risks to streamline business operations.
Phishing Attacks
Remote workers are more susceptible to phishing attacks due to using personal devices and operating outside corporate security measures. Cybercriminals perform phishing attacks to steal sensitive data, such as login credentials, through common communication channels like email or chat.
Malware Infections
More and more remote workers are using personal devices for work, meaning devices with access to corporate data and resources may have unapproved apps installed for non-work-related browsing. This creates an ideal environment for malware to infect these devices and use them as a foothold for attacking corporate resources.
Unsecured Network Connections
Remote workers who use unsecured network connections are at risk of several dangers, including man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, data interception, unauthorized access, and privacy breaches. These risks expose sensitive data to unauthorized individuals, which could lead to data leaks, compromised devices, and privacy violations.
Endpoint Vulnerabilities
Devices for remote work, like laptops or smartphones, might not have sufficient security measures to safeguard the business. This can be due to outdated software, missing patches, or the absence of strong antivirus and anti-malware solutions. These vulnerabilities significantly raise the likelihood of malware infections, data breaches, or unauthorized access to corporate resources.
Unauthorized Access
Remote work environments can be susceptible to unauthorized access if employees fail to implement strong authentication measures or if credentials are exposed. Furthermore, remote employees with access to sensitive data may unintentionally or intentionally compromise security, leading to data exposure or unauthorized sharing of confidential information.
Data Leakage and Loss
Data leakage and loss also pose a security risk in remote work environments. Remote workers may inadvertently expose sensitive information through misconfigured cloud storage, insecure file sharing, or unsecured networks. Using personal devices and the lack of physical security measures heighten the risk of data breaches. Data loss can also occur due to device theft or physical damage.
Weak Passwords
Weak passwords represent another widespread security risk in remote work arrangements. Some employees may use passwords that are easy to guess in their efforts to remember multiple passwords or due to complacency. Weak passwords that lack complexity and are open to brute force attacks or password cracking techniques undermine overall security, allowing unauthorized individuals access to sensitive information and compromising data confidentiality.
Lack of Security Training
Lack of training in security best practices puts remote employees at a higher risk of exposing their companies to numerous security threats. Without proper training on identifying phishing attempts, using strong passwords, or secure file sharing, employees may unwittingly jeopardize data security.
Compliance Challenges
Organizations, even with remote work arrangements, must adhere to specific laws, regulations, and industry standards. When employees work remotely, they may handle sensitive data or access systems subject to regulatory requirements such as data privacy, security, or confidentiality. In a remote work environment, compliance challenges may arise due to the distributed nature of work, varying regional regulations, and lack of direct oversight and control over remote employees.
Incident Response Difficulties
Compared to traditional office settings, remote work environments may be slow to detect and respond to security incidents. Without a well-defined incident response plan, businesses may find it challenging to successfully contain the damage of security breaches.
Best Practices for Securing the Remote Workforce
Securing a remote workforce is an ongoing effort that calls for a combination of technical measures, user education, and organizational policies. By implementing the following best practices, organizations can improve the security posture of their remote workforce:
Establish Comprehensive Security Policies
Businesses should create an extensive security policy that specifies the expectations and guidelines for remote workers. Management should also ensure that employees understand their responsibilities in maintaining security.
Enforce Strong Password Hygiene
Security can be increased by encouraging employees to use strong passwords, which are unique for each account, and by reminding them not to reuse passwords. Organizations can also allow employees to use password managers to store and manage their login credentials.
Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Using MFA for accessing company resources strengthens cybersecurity by requesting employees to present multiple pieces of evidence for identity verification.
Maintain Timely Software Updates
Applying regular updates or patches remotely is a crucial step in securing remote workforces. By doing so, organizations can promptly address vulnerabilities that attackers might exploit, bolstering the overall security of the remote workforce.
Secure Home Network Configurations
Remote employees should be given guidelines on securing home networks properly. This may include setting up strong Wi-Fi passwords, enabling network encryption (WPA2 or WPA3), and changing default router credentials.
Establish Secure Remote Access
Secure remote access, such as traffic encryption and access controls, is needed to prevent sensitive data from being exposed and cybercriminals from using remote work infrastructure to access corporate systems and carry out attacks.
Implement Internet Access Security
Remote workers are at risk of drive-by downloads, phishing sites, and internet-based threats. Internet access security blocks inappropriate sites and prevents malicious content from reaching user devices.
Deploy Endpoint Protection Solutions
Malware infections on remote devices can access or target corporate data and systems. Organizations must deploy endpoint protection solutions on these devices to shield against malware and viruses. Endpoint security solutions can include antivirus software, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems.
Encrypt Sensitive Data
Data encryption protects sensitive information and makes sure that even if data is intercepted or stolen, it remains unreadable without the appropriate decryption keys.
Provide Security Awareness Training
Regularly training remote workers on cybersecurity best practices is important to ensure a secure remote work environment. By instilling security awareness through different channels, organizations can keep security at the forefront of employees’ minds.
Implement Robust Access Controls
Companies should apply access controls that limit remote employees’ access to only the resources necessary for their job roles. Administrators can use role-based access controls (RBAC) to assign permissions based on job responsibilities and regularly review and update access privileges.
Establish Reliable Data Backups
Organizations need to develop a plan to make sure that critical data is backed up on a regular basis and can be restored in the event of data loss, such as through ransomware attacks or hardware failures. Admins should test the backups periodically to verify their integrity.
Develop an Incident Response Plan
Build and communicate an incident response plan to remote employees. The plan should specify the steps to take in case of a security incident, including reporting procedures, containment measures, and communication protocols. Incident response plans should be regularly updated to include potential threats to remote workers and strategies for remediating them.
Conduct Regular Security Assessments
Carrying out routine security assessments and audits uncovers potential risks. The process includes penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and reviewing access logs and user privileges.
Mitigate Cloud Infrastructure Risks
System misconfigurations are a leading cause of security incidents in public cloud infrastructures. This is because misconfigured systems can be easily attacked. To prevent this, organizations must take action to eliminate glitches, gaps, or errors that could expose the work environment to risk during cloud migration and operation.
Stay Informed on Emerging Threats
Staying up-to-date with emerging security threats and trends is a must for remote workers and organizations to protect themselves from cyberattacks. By subscribing to security alerts, following the latest cybersecurity news, and actively engaging in industry forums, everyone can remain well-informed about new threats and efficient mitigation strategies.
Leveraging Security Tools for Remote Work
Now that we’ve tackled the remote working security risks and the best practices to prevent them, let’s talk about the applications and tools needed to secure remote workforces, from zero trust and MFA to endpoint detection and backup.
Zero Trust Security Solutions
Zero trust security solutions are valuable for remote work as they provide a strong security framework to protect resources and data in distributed environments. In a zero trust model, all users and devices are considered to be potentially hostile, and access to resources is strictly controlled based on user identity and device security posture. This principle prevents unauthorized access to sensitive data even if a user’s credentials are already compromised.
Zero trust security tools are instrumental in delivering secure and granular access controls for both users and devices, regardless of their physical location. Some common zero trust network security tools used for remote work include:
- Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Provides secure, contextual access to applications and resources without relying on a traditional VPN.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM): Manages user identities, permissions, and authentication to enforce access policies.
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Monitors and responds to threats on remote devices, enabling quick incident response.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Businesses employ MFA solutions to strengthen their defenses against credential theft and user impersonation. MFA requires remote workers to undergo different verification processes to access on-premises or cloud-based applications or systems. This can include giving a combination of credentials like a password and a one-time, short-lived SMS code.
Leading MFA solutions incorporate adaptive authentication, which balances strong security measures with user convenience. Adaptive authentication uses contextual information, such as the user’s location or device type, along with predefined business rules, to determine the appropriate authentication factors for a specific user in a given scenario.
Encryption Tools
Organizations boost data protection by employing encryption methods within and beyond the corporate network. Encryption tools convert sensitive data into an unreadable format, making it unintelligible to unauthorized individuals, whether stored (at rest) or transmitted (in transit). These tools utilize cryptographic algorithms to scramble the data, and only authorized parties possessing the encryption key can decrypt and access the information.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
EDR tools track and analyze endpoint activities, including remote devices, to detect and respond to potential security threats. They can be used to identify malicious activity, malware infections, unauthorized access, and data exfiltration. EDR tools are also used to investigate security breaches and identify the source of attacks.
Endpoint Privilege Management
Endpoint protection solutions, also known as endpoint privilege management solutions, strengthen security by eliminating unnecessary local administrator privileges from remote worker devices and containing threats at the endpoint. These are deployed alongside other endpoint security measures, forming part of a comprehensive defense-in-depth strategy. The endpoint protection process involves installing firewalls for monitoring and controlling network traffic and using antivirus and anti-malware software.
Endpoint Backup Solutions
Endpoint backup software protects remote devices like laptops and mobile devices from data loss caused by hardware failures, accidental deletions, or security incidents. It ensures regular data backups and makes data recoverable. The endpoint backup process entails securely duplicating and storing data from network endpoints, including laptops, desktops, and servers. Cloud-based endpoint backup solutions have become popular in enterprises because they deliver thorough protection for both critical and non-critical data.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
SSO solutions enhance user experiences and reduce the likelihood of security breaches associated with weak passwords or password mishandling. SSO lets remote workers access all their business applications and services using a single set of credentials. With SSO tools, businesses simplify the authentication process, enabling a more secure and efficient user experience.
User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)
UEBA software flags unusual or suspicious activities performed by remote workers or their devices. By analyzing factors such as login patterns, application usage, data access behavior, and network traffic, UEBA solutions can spot deviations from normal behavior that may indicate security incidents, insider threats, or unauthorized access attempts.
Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)
NTA solutions provide organizations with visibility into network activities to identify suspicious or malicious behavior. This includes detecting anomalous network traffic, such as unauthorized access attempts, which may indicate a security incident. NTA solutions also give organizations the ability to observe network traffic from remote workers’ devices, including traffic generated by VPN connections. As a result, cybersecurity teams can find potential threats like network-based attacks and respond on time.
Password Managers
These are software programs that help remote workers generate, store, and manage reliable and unique passwords for their various online accounts and services. By securely storing passwords in an encrypted vault, password managers unburden users from remembering multiple complex passwords. Password managers also provide the convenience of automatically filling in login credentials, minimizing the risk of weak or reused passwords.
Secure Collaboration and Communication Tools
Collaboration and communication solutions are widely used tools by remote workers. These applications equip distributed teams with platforms for sharing files, working together on projects, and connecting with colleagues. Secure collaboration and communication tools often facilitate private messaging, file encryption and sharing, and document collaboration. However, other collaboration tools, such as remote desktop software, contribute to protected remote collaboration by employing SSL/TLS encryption protocols to establish secure connections between
