Lots of new data is now just coming out of the woodwork demonstrating some of the harsh realities of having employees work from home without proper security in place.
According to new data from software information hub Capterra, in their Remote Work Survey 2020, employees are doing anything but practicing good security:
- 23 percent always share password between personal and work accounts
- 33 percent have a single password they use across sites
- Only 15 percent have strong passwords
It may be that employees aren’t being properly prepared with only 24 percent of organizations having dedicated security staff where that person is known to employees. Although, according to the report, 64 percent of remote workers have received Security Awareness Training. But, with nearly a third of employees falling victim to phishing scams (which nearly half – 45% - were COVID-19 related), the training may not be continual in nature – which is critical to create a security culture and a vigilant mindset on the part of the employee.
Proper Security Awareness Training keeps employees mindful about their role in corporate security and the need for good security practices to be put into place. With continual training, employees can be made aware of the need for improved password hygiene and how to be looking for scams that take advantage of current events.
Remote workers aren’t going anywhere, best we can tell. It’s time to put some additional protections in place through educating your remote employees. There is a Part 1 of this article here.
