Triggered by the corona virus lock down, the abrupt transition to a work from home ( W F H) venue forced organizations to scramble to support a larger remote workforce. Such a quick shift means that certain security measures and requirements inevitably fell by the wayside. At the same time, cybercriminals found a new opportunity for attack with remote workers and improperly secured connections and technologies. Together, these trends have created a more vulnerable environment affecting the cyber security defenses of many organizations.

1. “IMPACT OF REMOTE WORK:
NEW THREATS AND
SOLUTIONS”

2. Seminar
on
IMPACT OF REMOTE WORK: NEW THREATS AND SOLUTIONS
Presented Guided
By By
Preeti.D Dr Dayanand J Sir
(3gn17cs063)

3. Contents
• Introduction
• But why are remote workers a target for cyber attackers?
• Weaponised artificial intelligence (AI)
• Social media Attack
• Data Privacy
• Few suggestions based on the survey responses.
• Conclusion

4. Introduction
• Employees working from home face a new world of workplace challenges. With childcare facilities
mostly closed, many are juggling crying babies or barking dogs, all while tending to job
responsibilities.
• Governments are reconsidering ways to ensure that their countries are stable by developing and
enforcing new economic plans.
• Nevertheless, while the world is focused on the health and economic threats posed by COVID-19,
cybercriminals around the world undoubtedly are capitalizing on this crisis.
• Insider threats can stem from either “negligent insiders” – which according to Proof point is the
most common and accounts for 62 percent – or from malicious insiders, who intentionally steal
data or company secrets.

5. But why are remote workers a target for cyber attackers?
• Cybercriminals are aware that a lot of businesses were thrown in the deep end with the
pandemic. Businesses weren’t set up for remote working, and therefore didn’t have the
right security protocols in place.
• In March 2020, when most businesses started working remotely, global organizations saw
a 48% spike in ransom ware attacks. These attacks are often in the form of phishing,
either by text, instant messaging, email, and third-party applications.

6. • Recently, Microsoft has released a study on COVID-19’s effect on cybersecurity They
surveyed nearly 800 business leaders from companies with more than 500 employees
across the UK, US, Germany, and India to better understand how the pandemic is
affecting the cybersecurity industry, including implications on budget and the long-term
effects on the IT landscape.
• At the start of quarantine, Security and IT teams were tasked with
providing secure remote access to all company resources, apps, and data. In order to
successfully allow employees to work from home, there were several technology
investments that needed to be made. According to Microsoft’s study, the top
5 cybersecurity investments since the beginning of the pandemic include multi-factor
authentication (MFA), endpoint device protections, anti-phishing tools, VPN, and end-
user security education.

9. Weaponised Artificial Intelligence
• Hackers are using their own automation to attack business networks and
systems from those working remotely.
• To prevent this happening, businesses need to use endpoint security
systems – which so far, only 46.9% of businesses with remote employees
are using. So, in 2021, we expect remote workers to become more
accustomed with endpoint cyber security systems.

10. Why are they targeting social media platforms?
• Most social media platforms provide poor authentication processes and
little verification in order to access accounts, meaning that social media
attacks are easier than you might think.
• The URL leads to a malicious website that collects personal information
and credentials in order to compromise multi-factor authentication
solutions

11. Data Privacy
• As we all know, businesses create, collect and store a lot of data, and these digital
footprints are only getting bigger year on year. Data is now one of the most valuable
assets in the world, cited as the new oil.
• If you’re thinking about getting a VPN, getting it from a trusted provider should be your
top priority. There are likely to be other trends in cyber security that will rear their heads
as 2021 progress.

15. • Router Configuration
The security of your home network begins with properly configuring your router. A
trivial step such as changing the password of your router’s backend from the default
password can go a long way in preventing it from being hacked.
• Updated Software
This holds true for software in general and security tools in particular. Most rolled out
updates cover the vulnerable aspects of security, as and when weaknesses are identified.
This holds equally true for software that pertain to productivity or security.

16. • Regular Backups
While organizations have an elaborate plan for backing up data regularly, you also need
to start doing that for your important data. Ideally, there should at least be two backups that
are isolated from your officially issued device and home network itself.
• Suspicious Emails
This is emerging as a major problem for organizations. You need to be extra vigilant
about suspicious emails that at first glance, may seem like an official communique. Avoid
clicking on suspicious links embedded within emails, asking you to do certain things.

17. • File Sharing Practices
A file that’s of routine nature to you may be a valuable intellectual property for a cyber
thief. So, you must avoid sharing files over your home network when using social media
platforms or insecure collaborative tools.
• Virtual Meeting Software
The demand and use of virtual meeting and collaborative solutions has skyrocketed
due to the present circumstances. By following the simple security guidelines issued by
these software platforms, you can keep your home network and PC safe from many threats

20. Conclusion
Remote work is a reality that we all will have to cope with. The regular use
of our home networks is part of this new work paradigm. While we can
never achieve enterprise grade protection at our homes, we can surely avoid
and mitigate most threats.