30% Irish Remote Workers Have Had Their Account Compromised

30% Irish Remote Workers Have Had Their Account Compromised 

New Research

A recent study carried out by OneLogin, in response to World Password Day back in May this year. From this study they researched over 5,000 remote workers across five countries including 1,000 in Ireland.

The results found that across all five countries surveyed, consumers are misusing their work devices. From high risk sites to video streaming channels, the fact is that users are exposing their businesses to vulnerabilities by accessing non-verified and insecure web pages. Ever heard of a drive-by download attack? This is a common cybersecurity threat where a bad actor targets a person through their Internet browser, installing malware on their device by visiting an infected website. Some things organisations can do to reduce their exposure are:

• Ensure all users are keeping their web browsers and applications up to date with the latest security patches and enable pop-up blockers
• Run antivirus or malware detection programs regularly on all corporate devices
• Do not give admin access to end users to mitigate the user’s ability to download potentially harmful software and minimise damage that could be done from a bad download by limiting to the user context vs. the machine

Source – OneLogin

What can you do as a Business Owner or Team Lead? 

Educate Your Employees

According to the Enterprise Phishing Susceptibility and Resiliency Report, 91% of cyber attacks and resulting data breaches began with a spear phishing email that was targeted at an employee. Without proper training and education, employees will not know which emails are safe, and which ones can lead to a disaster.

In order to help employees protect themselves and your company’s data, you should work on creating a security-focused workplace culture. With cyber security at the forefront of their minds, employees will be less susceptible to attacks and more likely to report suspicious behaviour. Improve your security culture by:

• Training employees to recognise phishing red flags such as automated greetings, grammatical errors or demanding calls to action.
• Remind them not to click on links or open attachments from people that they do not know.
• Teach them to avoid unsecure websites when using work devices. You can spot a secure website if it begins with https rather than just http.
• Require employees to change their passwords every few months, and encourage them to make each password complex and different from the previous one.

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