Initially, remote working was not as prominent and common as it is currently. Since COVID-19 happened in 2020, many people embraced remote working. It dawned on employers that they could get skilled workers anywhere in the world. This necessitated the creation of opportunities for remote working. It is important to educate remote working employees on cybersecurity.
Training remote working employees on cybersecurity is necessary because cyberattacks are increasing. Also, hackers exploit gullible people to obtain private information. As an employer, you need to train your staff if you want to protect your company from cyberattacks. Additionally, training workers will help in implementing cybersecurity measures. It is easy to do that by following these steps.
Make the training exciting
Cybersecurity is hard-to-follow for most individuals especially those who are not tech-inclined. But everyone is concerned with cybersecurity. The reason is that when you carry out activities online you need to be aware of how to stay safe. Training remote working employees on cybersecurity is non-negotiable. However, you will not get the positive results that you need if the training is not exciting and fun for them.
Remember how some classes used to be boring for you while in school? Sometimes you do not even pay attention because the class is not fun. Also, you will read that course to pass and not necessarily to know and apply it. Well, don’t let your remote working employees adopt this approach.
Ensure that the cybersecurity classes are fun. The trainers should deliver the training in smaller bites. It should also be in a manner that they will understand the lessons. The employees can also practice what they should do if they have a cyberattack. All of these will make them pay attention to the lessons.
Adopt a ‘zero trust’ policy
If you want your company’s data not to be compromised. If you do not want to spend money following the aftermath of a cyberattack you need to adopt a zero-trust policy. You indeed trust your employers. They may not deliberately breach cybersecurity protocols. Those holding executive positions in your company may be your friends or close to you. But when it comes to the cybersecurity of your company do not trust anyone.
All workers should be held to the same cybersecurity standards. Everyone should bear equal liability where there is a cyberattack. Establishing this understanding will encourage staff to take cybersecurity precautions and training seriously. It’s important to take certain precautions seriously. They may include limiting of sensitive data access, password security, and device access.
Teach them easy cybersecurity best practices
There are easy cybersecurity best practices that all workers should learn and know. They can learn these on their own. There are online newsletters, blogs, YouTube videos, etc. that teach cybersecurity best practices.
A website with HTTP lacking HTTPS and the padlock sign on the URL is not secure. The reason is that there is no Secure socket layer (SSL) certificate in place. So, information that is encrypted and shared on the website is not secured. When there is no SSL certificate, it makes a website vulnerable to attacks. Websites can opt for Wildcard SSL certificates, like Comodo Wildcard SSL, to protect the main domain and all the subdomains.
Additionally, remote workers should learn not to click on random links or spam. Watch out for phishing and other forms of tactics used by cybercriminals.
Secure device usage
When training remote working employees on cybersecurity, secure device usage should be included. These workers will use devices you cannot see, and your tech guys cannot monitor. It makes it difficult to ensure that everything is safe and secure. Antivirus and malware should be on devices for remote job security. It will protect their devices.
Some people need to put multi-factor authentication in place. In addition to a password, you can add a fingerprint and face unlock. like passwords. For an extra layer of protection include one-time passwords (OTP) via email or SMS. People also use any public Wi-Fi they can access. They do not realize they are making their sensitive data vulnerable. They should practice safe web browsing. All workers should be aware of this and follow secure device usage.
Don’t store all the data
As a company grows, the amount of sensitive data it handles increases. The reason is that the company will have more customers and more employees. Data can include financial information, unique user information, and personal information. It is pertinent that workers do not store all data. Some data should be permanently deleted as it is needless to have them and expose the company to risk.
Additionally, you can hire a different business to store sensitive data. Do this if your remote workers are not comfortable storing it all on their own. Just to be safe, limit access to the administrative sections of the company. Access should only be granted to employees whose job necessitates such access. When the employee who had access to sensitive data leaves, it is best to remove the person’s access.
Training for incident response
Employees and workers need incident response training for remote job security. It is not sufficient for them to learn cybersecurity theory alone. They must receive training on how to handle cyberattacks.
How do they respond to security breaches? What are the appropriate channels to report these breaches to? Who are the personnel in the organization that they should talk to? This training will help them stay alert. It also ensures that, in the event of a cyberattack, they will be well-equipped to handle it.
Conclusion
It is imperative to train remote working employees on cybersecurity. This will ensure that everyone is informed and can protect your company. Besides training your employees, also ensure that your employees’ boundaries are respected. No employer works 24/7 so after their working hours they should not be contacted. Doing this will prevent them from using random Wi-Fi or devices within reach. Especially if they are outside to attend to a work matter. Also, cybersecurity training should not be a one-time training, it should be continuous.