The ‘Mobile’ Worker: Securing a Distributed Workforce

The rise of remote working and the resulting need to access company resources from anywhere has created new challenges for both businesses and employees. Now employees are working ‘on the go’ more than ever before, a greater dependency has been placed on mobile phones and tablets.

Hybrid working has produced a significant impact on the security of devices. When employees work from home, they must rely on their home networks,which rarely matches the security levels at an office. This raises the risk of data breaches, hacking, and malware. Additionally, employees may be more likely to engage in risky behaviours while working remotely, such as using unsecured Wi-Fi networks or sharing login credentials.

With hybrid work, there is more complexity in securing the data and devices as it needs to be done across different physical locations and networks. This presents a challenge for IT teams, as they need to ensure that data is secure and that employees are adhering to security protocols no matter where they are working from. This challenge can be especially difficult for smaller organisations with limited resources.

Apps and data are served from and kept in centrally managed off-premise resources - such as public or private clouds - as networks become increasingly decentralised. With all of these activities taking place off-network, it becomes much harder to set the boundaries and, as a result, protect against assaults.

Mobile phones, whether personal or professional, are a gold-mine when it comes to personal information, such as contacts, emails, text messages, and location data. Often these devices have access to highly-sensitive and valuable information, like bank account numbers and login credentials for various accounts. Without proper security measures in place, this information could be accessed by unauthorised individuals, potentially leading to identity theft, financial loss, or other harm.

Employee’s personal phones are regularly used for professional communication and access to the internet, prized targets for hacking and malware attacks. Ensuring the security of a mobile phone is essential to protect personal and sensitive information, as well as maintain the integrity and functionality of the device.

Mobile hacking has been on the rise in recent years. This is due to several factors, including the increasing use of mobile devices for both personal and professional purposes, and the growing sophistication of mobile malware and hacking techniques.

To secure their networks, organisations must educate employees on best practices for device security, such as how to identify and avoid phishing attempts and how to keep their devices secure. Employees across the business should be cautious of phishing attempts as well as unsolicited emails, text messages, and phone calls asking for personal information or login credentials.

To protect against mobile hacking, it's important to keep devices updated, be cautious of phishing attempts, and download apps only from official app stores. It's also important to install a reputable mobile antivirus and use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks to encrypt connections and protect data.

Organisations should educate employees on the importance of using strong and unique passwords, improving standard security practices, including requiring passwords to be changed every 30 to 90 days. As well as regularly updating their passwords, employees should avoid using information which can be easily guessed, such as your name or birthday. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be used to add an extra layer of security to employee’s accounts.

As well as putting in place appropriate processes to build employee habits and raise security standards, businesses can centrally manage important solutions, which can serve to protect a distributed workforce.

Web filtering can also bring numerous benefits. Web filtering helps to improve network security by blocking access to potentially harmful websites that could infect the company's computers with malware or viruses. This can protect sensitive company data and reduce the risk of cyber-attacks. Meanwhile device management software enables companies to keep track of and control devices and to protect data stored on them.

Another effective approach to protecting distributed workforces is through URL reputation monitoring. This security measure involves monitoring and analysing the reputation of websites and URLs to identify any potential risks or malicious activity. By using URL reputation monitoring, companies can ensure that their employees are not accessing harmful or malicious websites, which could lead to data breaches, infections, or other security incidents.

A further protective measure is web filtering. Web filtering is a security measure that helps by controlling access to websites and online content. By using web filtering, companies can restrict their employees from accessing certain types of websites, such as those containing malicious software or inappropriate content, thereby reducing the risk of security incidents. This is particularly helpful for distributed workforces, where remote employees may be more likely to access potentially harmful websites thanks to unsecured network connections. Additionally, it can help organisations comply with regulatory requirements by blocking access to websites that contain restricted or sensitive information.

As businesses continue to shift towards a more distributed workforce, it's essential for IT teams to ensure that all devices are properly managed and secured. Today’s business leaders need to ensure that their teams are primed and educated to work more securely, and supported by proper security systems. With that in place leaders can focus on running their business managing employees to work seamlessly and efficiently wherever they are, safe in the knowledge that their sensitive data is secure on any device, at any location.