Not COVID-19, Unsecured Networks Put Work-From-Home Employees At Risk

Anil - Mar 17, 2020

Due to the lack of security solutions and multi-layered firewall, telework employees now face another threat from cybercriminals.

The COVID-19 threat has made a staggering number of employees in India have to work from home without secure networks. Due to the lack of security solutions and a robust, multi-layered firewall, they now face another threat from the Internet as hackers have already found out new ways to deploy malware into people’s devices.

COVID-19 1 — It remains unclear whether or not telework employees have been equipped with qualified security practices.

According to industry experts, out of over 20 lakh telework employees is the staff specializing in the IT sector. However, it remains unclear whether or not most of them have been equipped with qualified security practices at home in accordance with the security of organizations’ confidential data.

The work-from-home policy is likely to put corporate data at risk. With a bunch of employees using their own devices and unsecured network to enter enterprise networks, the data begins falling prey to hackers and other types of cybercriminals.

In India’s Silicon Valley, the novel COVID-19 pandemic has forced the government to put a lockdown on the area. Most employees working for top tech firms are asked to stop on-site activities but to still keep up with their daily work.

It’s emerging for both businesses and staff to deal with such a scenario. Any disruption should not happen, nor data exposure.

COVID-19 2 — Unsecured networks and devices put corporational data at risk.

Security firm Avast said in a report that nearly 40 percent of employees globally have yet to receive technological support from companies. Avast’s spokesperson also emphasized the importance of pre-approved devices, including smartphones and laptops, to control over the ways people gain access to corporate materials.

For instance, multi-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption are both must-have standard practices. As a matter of fact, it’s better safe than sorry if you’re a work-from-home employee.