The remote work revolution did not just change where we work, it redefined how we secure our workplaces. The shift, which was accelerated by the pandemic, has forced organizations to embrace a decentralized workforce practically overnight. While it provided flexibility, business continuity, and a new frontier for hiring employees, it also opened the door to a range of new cybersecurity threats.
The Expanding Attack Surface: New Cyber Risks in Remote Work
When the office moved to the living room, the corporate perimeter vanished. The corporate perimeter had already been blurred by the plethora of mobile devices being used, but this extreme switch to remote work environments introduced a broader attack surface, including multiple personal devices, each potentially vulnerable, now tapping into corporate systems and processing corporate data. Many of these devices operate on home Wi-Fi networks that lack any serious security, often still using default credentials or weak encryption.
Phishing and social engineering attacks have also surged. Employees, isolated from their IT teams and often juggling personal distractions, are more likely to fall for well-crafted lures, increasing the risk to the organization. Without quick access to tech support, even minor issues can become major vulnerabilities, and let’s not forget that cybercriminals do not take days off. They’ve adapted quickly to this new normal, and we need to follow suit.
Real-World Damage: Cyber Incidents in the Remote Era
We have already seen the consequences as attackers have been known to gain access to VPN credentials through phishing emails and other social engineering tactics, resulting in full-scale ransomware attacks that have shut down operations for days and cost the victim companies millions in downtime and recovery.
Data breaches as a result of poor credential hygiene or credential theft through social engineering have also become relatively common as organizations must allow remote access to employees at a large scale.
Common Pitfalls: Mistakes Made by Remote Teams
Too often, both employees and employers leave gaps wide open by not using remote access VPNs. Some organizations have staff connect directly to corporate resources without the protection of a VPN, exposing internal systems to interception and leaving systems exposed to the internet and a constant barrage of attacks.
Password-only logins are still far too common, and without some form of multifactor authentication (MFA), attackers have it much easier when stealing or guessing credentials. While MFA is not a replacement for using unique, complex and long passwords, it does offer a significant level of extra protection compared to password-only logins. Single sign-on services can also help take some of the risk out of remote access.
Many organizations assume cybersecurity is “common sense,” but it is not. Cyberthreats evolve daily, so should our awareness. Short, relevant training provided monthly or quarterly far outperforms a single, long training session held once a year. A focus should be on helping people understand the threats and what to do when they encounter one. Educating employees is about changing behaviors, not just about providing information.
Best Practices That Actually Work
A proactive defense does not require infinite budget, just intelligent planning. Employing MFA is one of the simplest, most effective ways to prevent unauthorized access through credential abuse. There are different types of MFA available that offer different levels of protection which need to be weighed against the effort needed to use them, so one size does not fit all. For example, an authentication app that generates rolling codes may be enough protection, and people generally always have and carry smartphones with them, however a USB token, although more secure, could be a problem if left behind or physically damaged. However, you decide which type to use, if you’re not using it at all, you’re inviting trouble.
Ongoing employee training, as mentioned before, is extremely important. Employees should be able to quickly spot social engineering attempts and know what to do next. Education should be a part of holistic Human Risk Management (HRM) program that includes email filtering, training, simulated social engineering attacks, endpoint protection and data loss prevention (DLP) controls. A combination of technical and non-technical controls is needed to address human risk and should be taken seriously.
Help secure the employees’ home networks. Encourage strong router passwords, firmware updates, and WPA3 encryption and provide guidance to employees. Do not assume they know what to do.
Incident response plans should be tested regularly and kept up to date. When the inevitable happens, preparedness makes the difference. Remember to keep a printed copy in case there is digital mayhem such as a ransomware attack that impacts digital versions, and include a clear, tested plan, even for remote teams and workers.
Tools and Tech That Help You Sleep at Night
Technology is not the enemy, in fact, it’s a critical part of the defense. Secure VPNs can ensure encrypted data transfer and often allow for more secure authentication options for remote workers. Make sure you keep the VPN software updated as an outdated and vulnerable VPN is a risk, not a safeguard.
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is needed to catch threats before they spread to the rest of the organization. This is a critical part of any HRM program.
Zero-trust architecture is very useful, especially in a remote setup where access should be limited and continuously validated. Do not trust, always verify.
Final Thoughts: Remote Doesn’t Mean Reckless
Cybersecurity has always been about adapting to new threats and remote work is no exception. Organizations must accept that in many ways, decentralization is here to stay, and with it, a new security mindset is required. The good news? With the right mix of tools, training, and policy, remote work can be just as secure as any office.
Stay vigilant, stay flexible, and never stop evaluating your defenses. Because in cybersecurity, complacency is the real threat.
About the Author
Erich Kron is a security awareness advocate at KnowBe4. He is a veteran information security professional with over 25 years of experience in the medical, aerospace manufacturing, and defense fields, an author, and a regular contributor to cybersecurity industry publications. He is the former security manager for the US Army’s 2nd Regional Cyber Center-Western Hemisphere and holds CISSP, CISSP-ISSAP, SACP, and many other certifications.
Erich can be reached online at LinkedIn and at our company website https://www.knowbe4.com/.
