Half of all Remote Employees Aren’t the Slightest Bit Prepared for Cyberattacks

New data from IBM suggests that employees, their devices, training, and organizational policies are all lacking when it comes making sure remote workers don’t become a victim of cybercrime.

We’re well-past the shock of needing to setup remote operations with employees working from home. And enough time has passed that the world has seen how cybercriminals have changes their targets and tactics to take advantage of the unsuspecting remote worker.

So, surely, one would expect to see organizations taking steps to ensure the security of the employee, and the organization itself, right?

Well, according to IBM Security’s newly-released Work from Home Study, cyber readiness in the remote workplace is still a mess:

• 53% of remote employees “have yet to be given any new security policies on how to securely work from home”
• Of the over half of remote employees using their personal device for work, 61% say their employer hasn’t taken steps to help secure it
• 66% haven’t been given any password management guidelines
• 45% haven’t been given any new security training

The shift to working from home is not just about making employees operational; it’s also about extending at least the same security policies and governance to the remote worker, while shoring up security upon realizing the increased risk of them working from home.

With so many security issues to address – from insecure WiFi, to personal devices, to home distractions, to a lack of guidance, where should organizations pick up the pieces today?

Given so many variables of how a given employee may be connecting to organizational resources, the answer lies in the one constant – the employee themselves. By enrolling employees in Security Awareness Training, the organization props up the best possible defense against the ever-changing state of cyberattack. Employees can be taught to be mindful of corporate data, the use of phishing and social engineering, and how to spot suspicious email and web content.

Remote workers still have a lot of adjustment on their plate and it seems like every week, there’s something new to deal with. By providing a source of stability through training, organizations can immediately see an improvement in their remote security stance, providing time to address the other factors.