CybeReady launches remote working toolkit to boost security

CybeReady, a global expert in security awareness training, has announced the company's Remote Workforce CISO Training Toolkit, now available for free download.

The new educational resource for businesses of any size comes as Global Work-From-Home Day returns on April 10th every year, reinforcing the need for a more security aware business culture as cyber threats continue to target remote workers.

Founded in 2019, Global Work-From-Home Day celebrates the rise of remote work. However, with remote work there are security risks that CISOs should be aware of as they manage their remote workforce environments, the company states.

Some of these risks include insecure Wi-Fi networks, phishing scams, weak passwords, personal device usage to access company data, and lack of onsite IT support. To help CISOs become more aware of the issues and better train their employees to deal with these risks, CybeReady has released the Remote Workforce CISO Toolkit, an easy-to-use training guide to increase awareness of high-risk issues.

According to the company, the Remote Workforce CISO Toolkit not only applies to home-based work environments, but also to co-working spaces where individuals from different companies or industries can work in the same physical location such as WeWork or Fusion Workplaces.

Remote workspaces can also include remote offices, where employees work from a company-managed remote space as part of a distributed team.

A remote worker may also be a digital nomad, who may work from a coffee shop, hotel and restaurant all in a single day. Finally, there are hybrid remote work environments where the employee may work part-time from home and come into the office for collaboration and meetings.

Some of the recommendations highlighted in the Remote Workforce CISO Toolkit for executives and employees to be aware of, regardless of the remote workspace, include:

• Ditch your default Wi-Fi password: Hackers can exploit default passwords, leaving a router vulnerable. Set a strong password of 12+ characters.
• Work only on company-issued devices: Personal devices are no place for work-related documents as they typically lack robust security features. If accessing a calendar, email or instant messaging apps on a personal smartphone are a must, avoid sharing sensitive data.
• Keep your company data tech safe: Prevent unauthorised access to sensitive material by setting up a dedicated workspace for the employee's use only (no friends or family).
• Protect devices while traveling: When leaving home for 48 hours or more, store work devices securely and ensure they're protected while on the move.
• Tech issues call for expert support: When it comes to IT challenges, reach out to IT department professionals instead of attempting to rectify on your own.

According to CybeReady, it is especially important to properly train employees and allocate resources to protect Work-From-Home and other remote work environments. Remote workers today are facing an increasing number of cyber threats, ranging from the ever-present phishing or ransomware attack to "Zoom bombing" and other types of video conferencing attacks targeting these platforms.

Eitan Fogel, CybeReady CEO, says, "Working remotely has revolutionised the way we work, but it has also opened the door to a growing wave of cyber threats. Companies must remain vigilant, properly train their employees and invest in cybersecurity measures to protect the organisation from these evolving threats. CybeReady's fully-automated training solution allows CISOs to easily and effectively train employees year-round, wherever they are."