The Most Dangerous Threats involving Remote Workers and Mobile Devices

Were you one the 55.3 percent of employees who took their work devices on the road during this holiday season? Odds are that if you have employees who find it difficult to complete their duties in the office, they’ll take it home with them over the holidays to ensure they don’t fall behind. However, they could potentially be exposing critical data to risk by doing this.

A survey from ObserveIT asked several questions about the most hazardous threats that face businesses when it comes to remote workers and mobile devices, and the results they found were concerning. Just about anyone (including the best employee) poses a potential risk to your organization if they are unaware of the dangers their mobile device usage presents. Macro Systems will dig into the details and share some of the critical takeaways of the survey, as well as what you can do to make sure your business doesn’t fall victim to these threats.

Utilizing Unsecured Networks is Dangerous
While it might be convenient to utilize any unlocked Wi-Fi network while out of the office, it’s not the most secure way of accessing the Internet. This is because anyone on the network with the right tools can see what you are doing, as well as steal or intercept data while it’s in transit to and from it. 77 percent of employees utilize these networks to access the Internet on their devices.

Moreover, the number of employees using these networks to access their email and other company data while unsecured is somewhat surprising. About 63 percent of employees do this, and it puts your organization's sensitive information at risk.

Employees Utilize Unapproved Devices to Access Data
Sometimes devices utilized by your employees aren’t as secure as they can be. For example: someone might bring a tablet that doesn’t adhere to a Bring Your Own Device policy to the workplace. Any unsecured devices that aren’t approved could expose your network and data to peril. It’s estimated that just over half of employees use these devices to access company data, whether it’s email or other imperative files.

A Virtual Private Network Provides Massive Help
Naturally, the best way to ensure your organization doesn’t expose data while you’re using devices outside the safety of the office is to use a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN works by masking the data while it’s traveling to and from your device, encrypting it so that it remains as safe as possible from all threats. While the data is encrypted, if it is stolen or spied on, the interloper will only be able to see a jumbled mess of data rather than anything concrete, protecting the integrity of it. While organizations are starting to see the sense in using a VPN, only about 55 percent of users are currently doing so. This is a number that can be improved on if you can emphasize the importance of cybersecurity awareness with your staff.

Macro Systems can help your business stay as secure as possible while out of the office, no matter where your business takes you. To learn more, reach out to us at 703-359-9211.