Securing our home office is possible. Here's how

Until a few months ago, everything was hunky-dory for some businesses. Well, almost. Employees worked onsite, used company-provided devices, operated within secured networks, antivirus software were the accepted gatekeepers, and IT teams had some time to enjoy water-cooler conversations. But not anymore.

The Covid-triggered business disruptions threw the golden era of work and its various stakeholders into a tizzy. As if almost overnight, companies had to embrace, prepare, and transition to the changing reality as fast as they could. Although many of them succeeded in the first phase of taking the digital plunge, it was managing beyond this point that made it an ordeal.

Securing an entire workforce during teleworking has been a challenge for companies, irrespective of their size. Smaller ones just ignored the threat considering themselves too insignificant to get the attention of spammers. While some reputed bigwigs thought themselves to be positioned safely in this environment. Both kinds have fallen prey to cyberattacks during this time.

1. Phishing scams saw a 667% spike in March alone.

2. WHO reported a fivefold increase in cyberattacks.

3. Going by the 2020 Phishing Attack Landscape Report, the frequency of phishing attacks has been the same during the past months. Organizations worldwide have experienced 1.185 attacks every month on an average.

4. According to ZDNet research, thousands of Coronavirus domains are being created daily, 90% of which are scam sites used for malware distribution.

5. There has been a surge in extortion attacks against enterprises. Phishing attacks are more focused on SaaS platforms to infiltrate corporate networks.

The truth is, hackers are running wild leveraging the sensitivity of the situation. Opening just one bad email can expose your entire network to malicious cyberattacks and prove as a threat to your sensitive data. And, looking at the longevity of the pandemic, and cost-efficiency of teleworking for businesses, it can be assumed that WFH or a hybrid work culture is here to stay.

Thankfully, cyber security awareness has gained some visibility during WFH. Employees and organizations alike are more vigilant around securing their devices and home networks. But as the workforce gets smart, the threats get smarter, leveraging sophisticated tools and by playing on the fears around the pandemic.

Employees need to be taught how to tackle the evolving threat landscape. Securing home Wi-Fis has become central to organizational security, which is a difficult task to achieve given multiple devices that are being operated within homes using the same signals.

So, how to ensure enterprise security?

Today, real-time visibility into network profiles is crucial for organizations to firewall against advanced vulnerabilities on their networks, devices, and data. A recent explosion in high-profile security incidences are testaments that the future of cybersecurity lies in network visibility and vulnerability mapping.

Of course, an organisation cannot run door-to-door assembling different solutions for each endpoint. Moreover, seeking security solutions from multiple sources is not advisable as the integrations and accountabilities might clash in the long haul. Hence, a state-of-the-art vulnerability management solution is the need of the hour that not only safeguards networks, but also the applications and devices from being compromised. It is very important to build robust security around an organization’s digital perimeter. Proprietary technologies and coveted partnerships that stop a device with a high cyber risk from accessing connected networks may also offer some sunshine. 360-degree protection to the digital ecosystem is the only way forward.

In a way, the pandemic has emerged as a catalyst in the digital transformation of all sectors including education, healthcare, retail, businesses, and even government authorities. It is now their turn for a cybersecurity transformation. There’s a possibility that all small, medium, and large enterprises will set aside some amount for cybersecurity from the next budget onwards. Cybersecurity leaders will have the onus to address their fears with the right technology and tools, provided they themselves survive the advanced and ever-evolving cyber threat landscape.

Views are personal. The author is founder and CEO, TAC Security.