The rise of remote work has brought flexibility and freedom to employees, allowing them to work from various locations. Studies show that 32.6 million Americans will work remotely by 2025—about 22% of the workforce.
However, this new way of working introduces significant security risks that can jeopardize personal and organizational data. The increasing trend of workcations and hush trips, where employees work from locations other than their usual ones without informing their managers, exacerbates these risks.
Remote employees may work from diverse and often unsecured environments. The reality is, as a manager or security leader, you can’t control where your remote employees are working from.
Whether they are logging in from a local café, a hotel room, or even a different country, the risks increase significantly.
Let's discuss the high-risk behaviors associated with remote work and learn how to help employees spot and mitigate cyber risks.
High-Risk Behaviors During Travel
Traveling employees can be exposed to several cyber security threats. From joining unsecured Wi-Fi networks to carelessly handling sensitive data, high-risk behaviors can jeopardize the security of your organization’s data.
Connecting to Unsecured Wi-Fi Networks
When workcationing, most users will rely on public Wi-Fi to stay connected. While public Wi-Fi networks are convenient, they are notoriously unsecure. It’s easy for cybercriminals to intercept data transmitted over public networks.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are crucial as they provide an extra layer of security. Additionally, implementing policies restricting access to sensitive information on public WiFi helps mitigate these risks.
Using Public Charging Stations
While charging your phone or laptop in a public charging station might seem harmless, it’s important to note that data hacking has become more sophisticated. Many cybercriminals target public charging stations for “juice jacking,” where malware is installed on devices through USB ports.
It’s best practice to use USB data blockers if absolutely necessary. Providing employees with portable chargers and power banks further reduces this risk by eliminating the need to use public USB ports.
Organizations can also educate their employees about these cyber threats and how to stay safe, ensuring they know the dangers and how to protect their devices.
Oversharing Travel Plans on Social Media
For some people, one of the joys of visiting new places is that you can share it with your friends online. While this might seem harmless, more sophisticated cybersecurity scams can stem from oversharing travels on social media.
To protect your employees from becoming victims of breaches while traveling, educate them on the dangers of oversharing on social media. Encourage them to edit the privacy settings on their accounts, limiting viewers to close friends and family instead of the public eye.
It’s also a good idea to propose a “post later” approach in which employees share their travel details only after returning.
Handling Sensitive Information in Public Places
Traveling employees usually find time to work during travel downtime, such as after boarding a train or bus to their destination or when waiting for their flights at the airport. However, this practice risks the safety of sensitive company information.
Securely storing and handling sensitive information is crucial to prevent unauthorized access. Working on confidential tasks in public places can expose sensitive data to onlookers, making it vulnerable to theft.
Privacy screens can help mitigate the risk of shoulder surfing, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected even in public settings.
Uploading of Files to Personal Storage
Organizations typically have corporate storage solutions built in with data protection measures. However, traveling employees are essentially on the go, which can lead them to deviate from strictly following company protocols.
They may store files in their personal storage and move them later when they’ve had proper time to sit down and work.
This simple, seemingly innocuous decision can expose the files to data leakage. Implementing strict rules about data storage and educating your users on why this is crucial can save you from costly breaches.
Shadow IT or Installing Web Applications
Shadow IT refers to using IT systems, devices, applications, or software without the explicit approval of a company’s IT department. This is one of the biggest risks to a company’s security because it can easily lead to data leakage.
Building a comprehensive policy around the installation and use of web applications helps prevent shadow IT. Ensuring that only company-approved tools and systems are used reduces the risk of data breaches and enhances overall security.
Misplacing/Losing Devices
It’s easy to misplace things when you’re on an adventure. But when the item lost is a company device or a personal device that has organizational data, things can get dangerous.
When placed in the wrong hands, a lost company laptop or phone containing sensitive information can be all a cybercriminal needs to breach essential data.
To safeguard company information, backups, and encryption on all company devices employees use are essential. These measures protect data in case of loss or theft.
Remote wipe capabilities ensure that unauthorized parties cannot access sensitive information. Educating employees on device security and making it mandatory to report any loss further enhances security and minimizes risks.
How Cybersecurity Awareness Training Can Reduce Travel Cybersecurity Risks
When employees are educated about the importance of security protocols, emerging cyber risks, and cybersecurity best practices, they become empowered to make safer choices, whether in the office or out of the country.
Keep in mind that security awareness training is continual, with regular training sessions that keep your users engaged to reinforce principles and adapt to evolving trends.
Keep Traveling Employees Vigilant and Safe
Even when employees are out of the office and traveling to different destinations, protecting corporate data remains crucial, maybe even more so.
Through security awareness training and company-wide security policies, you can significantly reduce potential threats posed by traveling.
Educating employees about the importance and rationale behind these measures promotes adherence to security protocols. It ensures that they securely handle company devices, use VPNs, avoid shadow IT, and follow best practices even while traveling.
That’s where effective cybersecurity awareness training comes in.
Test your users’ knowledge and see how well they can protect your company information while traveling. Take this free travel cyber quiz.