Does Remote Work Really Increase Cyberattack Risks?

It’s long been debated whether remote work demonstrably increases the risk of a cyberattack. As we move through the pandemic, we’re all taking part in an unexpected experiment in remote working – and we’re just starting to see if the increased risk that’s often associated with remote work is fact or fiction. 

The third Global Threat Report is out, and it’s got some important data to consider when debating the risk of remote work or securing a remote workforce. According to researchers, 91% of executives surveyed believe that remote work has placed their companies at higher risk for a cyberattack, with a high incidence of phishing attempts named as the biggest factor that drove that opinion.  

The study, conducted in March and April of 2020, found that 85% of the surveyed executives (chief information officers, chief technology officers, and chief information security officers) felt that breach risks were too high because their workforce had not been properly equipped, trained, or secured to work from home, with 28% citing severe known gaps in security.

As the pandemic continues to affect the way that business is done, companies need to take adequate measures to secure their remote workforce long term. Our resource package “Remote Working Cybersecurity” can help with a checklist and more! DOWNLOAD IT>> 

Over 29% of the surveyed executives cited a lack of multifactor authentication as the biggest threat facing their organization, rising to 50% for companies in the financial services sector, and 46% for companies with 251-500 employees. COVID-19 related malware was reported by 43% of respondents as the biggest perceived threat organizations with 50-250 employees. 

Don’t wait to deploy essentials like multifactor authentication (MFA). By adding a solution like Passly to your security stack, you provide one affordable tool that packs a huge security punch by combining MFA, single sign on, remote management, seamless integration with over 100 applications, and easy deployment in days, not weeks.   

Companies should be proactive to avoid future headaches. By adding MFA and the remote workforce support power of our digital risk protection platform now, businesses can be ready for tumultuous times and avoid hazards like scrambling for added security or a costly data breach as we continue to grapple with the global pandemic. 

Watch this 10-minute technical demonstration video of Passly in action.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

Third Party Data Breaches Endanger Every Company

Just because your company hasn’t had a data breach, that doesn’t mean that your staffers’ credentials are safe. Third-party data breaches are an increasing problem for every company. These days everyone uses internet-enabled services for everything from shopping to airline tickets. But that convenience comes at a price for workers: the risk of a personally identifiable data breach – and those breaches endanger their employers as well. 

Recently, 45 million records of travelers to Thailand and Malaysia appeared on the Dark Web. The stolen information included extensive personal data on travelers from many countries including their Passenger ID number, full name, mobile numbers, passport details, home address, gender, and flight details. And as we reported recently, users of top gambling app Clubillion were recently impacted by a data breach as well, leading to millions of users having personally identifiable data leaked.  

These breaches provide the fuel that powers spear phishing attempts, blackmail, password compromise, and other cyberattacks. While companies can’t stop third-party breaches from accidental exposure of their workers’ personal information, they can mitigate the potential damage and add protections that can stop bad actors from using it against them.  

Ensure that you’re protecting your data and systems from common sources of credential compromise and data loss by implementing a solid cybersecurity plan bulwarked by a digital risk protection platform featuring a Dark Web monitoring solution like Dark Web ID to watch for compromised credentials and alert companies to trouble. By making sure that you’re prepared for trouble from unexpected sources, you make your entire cybersecurity posture stronger to increase data loss prevention fast. 

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

Go Inside the Ink to Get the Inside Scoop on Cybersecurity News

Every weekday, our blog features timely cybersecurity news, problem-solving advice, and expert analysis of today’s threats, plus insight that helps you plan for tomorrow. Don’t miss it!

Catch up on what you need to know now: 

• What Sells in Dark Web Markets in 2020  
• What is the State of the Dark Web After COVID-19  
• Rocket Fuel for Sales and Marketing for MSPs in 2020  
• Is Phishing the Biggest Insider Threat of 2020?  
• The Ink This Week: Cybersecurity News & Analysis 07/03/20  
• What’s Behind the Huge Rise in Healthcare Data Breaches?   
• 10 Password Security Statistics That You Need to See Now

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

Are you struggling to keep up with employe self checks for COVID?

There are some easy ways that you can make and create the forms you need with tools you probably already have.. 

If you are interested, please reach out and I can help create or share how you can easily manage this for your company. 

Also, If you need something more Bit by bit has also development a module for our testing software that accommodates automation of the testing data collection. 

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

One of my clients sent me this offer he received on linked in.. Would you accept this?

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

Three New Microsoft Workshops from Bit by Bit

Join Us for a Triple Threat

Three New Microsoft Workshops

Teams: Take a Refresher & Recap Tuesday July 21, 2020 12 -12:45 p.m. EST

Teams: Tour Settings &  New Features Tuesday July 28, 2020 12 -12:45 p.m. EST

Planner: Meet the App that Organizes Teamwork  Tuesday August 4, 2020 12 -12:45 p.m. EST

Sign Up Now

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Did you miss our MS Teams workshops? Or, need a refresher? Looking to dive deeper into Teams and explore Planner? Well, you've got even more chances to join us for three new workshops.  In a nutshell, here's what you'll learn:

Teams: Take a  Refresher  & Recap The Canvas & Tabs Teams & Channels  The Files Tab/Sharing  Phone Calls & Meetings

Teams: Tour Settings  &  New Features Explore All Settings Teams & Channels 200 App Integrations New Features

Planner:  Meet the App that Organizes Teamwork Learn the Features  View Tasks & Set Them Use Forms to Integrate into Your Workflow

Pick one or pick all. However you want to go, you'll continue to get up to speed on Teams, whether working from home or in the office.

About Our Presenter

Sean Juryta Product Advisor  Paramus Microsoft Store As a Product Advisor, Sean helps  customers see what is possible with technology while  empowering them to achieve more. He serves as a highly knowledgeable resource for all things Microsoft and is an expert in utilizing its platforms in this new normal of the virtual experience.

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Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

Are You Staying Remote? Update Your IT Security Plan.

    

Although many companies were accustomed to supporting a remote workforce at least part of the time before the global pandemic, every company that’s still operating had to quickly transition to a fully remote workforce as the pandemic took hold of the world – and some of them discovered that they liked it. 

Many companies used to only allow limited remote work, convinced that their staffers would be less productive at home without supervision. As remote work became a necessity during the COVID-19 restrictions imposed around the world, companies that braced for decreased productivity from their newly remote workforce were in for a surprise. Instead of diminishing production, remote work was boosting it, with one study reporting that remote workers on average worked 1.4 more days in a month than they did in the office.  

This has led to a sea change in the thinking about remote work. Myriad companies in a broad range of industries have already adopted or are beginning to adopt permanent remote work as a norm for staff. The enticement of smaller facility costs and more flexibility combined with the added staff productivity and satisfaction is encouraging progressive companies to stay fully remote – but remote work brings its own cybersecurity risks.

Get the tools to support your remote workforce in our Remote Working Cybersecurity package, including a digital risk checklist and eBook! GET IT NOW>>

If you’re considering never going back to the office or even just keeping your staff flexible with extended remote capability, you’ll need to reconsider your cybersecurity posture. Remote work may bring many benefits, but it also brings new cybersecurity challenges to the table. Choosing the right cybersecurity stack (including a digital risk protection platform) to support remote work today can save many headaches, and dollars, in the future. 

Contact ID Agent today for an expert analysis of how you can update your security posture to support a remote workforce and maintain data security compliance to protect your company from threats at a price that doesn’t threaten your budget.  

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863