Risks of Remote Work
The transition of companies to remote or hybrid work formats has created new challenges for IT security. Employees connect to corporate resources from different locations, often using personal devices and home networks. This opens additional attack vectors and increases the workload on IT departments.
Key risk factors include:
- increased vulnerability to attacks;
- lack of proper data protection practices and procedures;
- risks of phishing attacks;
- unsecured endpoints;
- access through unprotected networks;
- vulnerabilities in access mechanisms;
- attacks based on social engineering;
- incorrect software configurations;
- reduced monitoring by IT security teams.
Statistics: Why This Matters
To better understand the scale of the problem, let’s turn to studies that demonstrate how widespread the risks of remote work are. These data clearly show: even if an organization considers its infrastructure secure, the remote work format creates additional weak points that can lead to significant financial losses.
- 57% of organizations report that more than half of their employees work from home at least twice a week (The Workforce Security Report).
- 46% of organizations are most concerned about protecting confidential data when remote connections are used (Remote Work From Home Report).
- 70% of companies allow employees to access corporate systems from personal devices (The Workforce Security Report).
- 20% of organizations have experienced data leaks caused by remote employees (cybertalk.org).
- 26% of organizations lack endpoint protection against ransomware (The Workforce Security Report).
- 64% of organizations face access problems daily or weekly (strongdm.com).
- The average global cost of a data breach is $4.44 million (IBM).
Key Areas for Improving Security
To minimize the risks of remote work, companies should implement comprehensive security measures. Below are the main practices and ways to implement them with Axence nVision®.
1. Relevance of OS Updates
The presence of workstations not connected to the company’s network can create challenges for IT administrators in terms of managing and updating the operating system. This can lead to potential security risks if devices are not updated and patches are not installed.
By using the Axence nVision® agent, IT administrators can easily monitor the operating system version and applied patches for each workstation, even if the device is not connected to the corporate network. This information helps IT administrators identify workstations that require updates and ensure the timely application of critical security patches.
2. Antivirus Protection
For an IT administrator managing remote teams, it is critically important to ensure that all devices used for remote work are equipped with up-to-date antivirus software. Since employees work from various locations and may use personal devices, maintaining a consistent level of security across all devices is vital to prevent threats from spreading into the corporate network.
With Axence nVision®, administrators can easily verify whether each workstation has the recommended antivirus protection installed. This enables the identification of potential security gaps and the implementation of appropriate measures to ensure the company’s network security. By applying this practice, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of security breaches and protect their critical assets.
3. Cryptographic Protection Against Unauthorized Access
IT administrators managing remote teams must ensure encryption of all workstations used for remote work, such as laptops, with a cryptographic tool like BitLocker. When these devices are outside the corporate network, they may become potential sources of valuable company data. In case of loss or theft, the absence of encryption can lead to unauthorized access to confidential information.
Axence nVision® provides a solution that allows administrators to monitor and control the encryption process of workstations using BitLocker, simplifying the task of ensuring the security of remote devices.
4. Implementation of Website Blocking Policies Based on CERT Malicious Domains
With the rise of remote work, the risk of employees accessing malicious websites and compromising company devices and data has also increased. To mitigate this risk, IT administrators can implement website blocking policies based on lists of malicious domains provided by CERT.
Axence nVision® offers website blocking policies that can be integrated with existing lists to restrict access to potentially harmful websites.
5. Blocking Access to Popular Cloud Storage Services
To avoid risks associated with employees using personal cloud storage for sharing corporate resources, it is recommended to implement a policy that blocks access to well-known cloud platforms such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
Axence nVision® provides the ability to block access to the web interfaces of such services, preventing their use and maintaining control over company files.
6. Blocking Applications for Automatic File Synchronization with Cloud Storage
Remote work can increase the risk of employees using cloud storage to exchange files, which may result in losing control over company resources. To prevent this, IT administrators can block the use of well-known applications for automatic file synchronization with cloud storage, such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
With Axence nVision®, these restrictions can be easily managed to ensure that company data remains secure and under control.
7. Implementing a DLP Solution
Having a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution is critically important for protecting the company’s confidential data from accidental or intentional leaks. DLP solutions analyze the context and content of files to prevent unauthorized access, copying, printing, or storing data outside of approved environments.
It is important for IT administrators to implement a DLP solution that meets the company’s needs and ensure proper configuration for effective protection of valuable data. A suitable solution for this could be Netwrix Endpoint Protector. Regular monitoring and auditing of the DLP solution will also help ensure its ongoing effectiveness.
8. Achieving Efficiency Through a Consolidated Helpdesk Ticketing System
A consolidated ticketing system is an important tool for managing and reporting technical issues in any organization. With such a system, employees can easily report technical problems, while the IT team can track and efficiently resolve them. By implementing a consolidated ticketing system, organizations can optimize the IT support process, reduce downtime, and increase overall productivity.
Axence nVision® provides a convenient ticketing system through its agent, allowing employees to quickly and easily report any issues or inconveniences they encounter. The system also supports Single Sign-On (SSO) for easy access, making it a convenient and effective way to track technical issues and ensure their prompt resolution.
9. Empowering Employees: Using an Easy-to-Use Knowledge Base to Solve Everyday Issues
Having a simple and user-friendly knowledge base can save time and effort for both employees and the IT team. When employees face everyday issues, they can quickly find solutions without turning to the technical team for assistance. This not only reduces the IT department’s workload but also allows employees to resolve problems independently, boosting their efficiency and confidence.
With Axence nVision®, employees gain easy access to the knowledge base through a web portal where they can browse and search relevant articles. This solution promotes self-sufficiency and enables employees to quickly find answers to common issues, allowing them to return to their tasks with minimal disruption.
10. Proactive Monitoring
To ensure the proper functioning of critical devices in remote or hybrid work environments, IT administrators should configure alerts that trigger when device performance parameters exceed defined thresholds. Simply monitoring and recording the operating parameters of critical devices is not sufficient.
Axence nVision® offers various communication channels, including email notifications, MS Teams and Slack messenger support, text messages, and scripts, to help IT administrators configure effective alerts about any emerging issues. This enables immediate action to be taken and minimizes any negative impact on the network.
11. Improving Accountability in Remote Work: Using Performance Statistics
Tracking employee productivity and work results is important both for the employees themselves and for the company. With the growing prevalence of remote work, it can be challenging to accurately monitor an employee’s performance and output. To ensure that employees meet their job responsibilities and that the company achieves its objectives, it is important to have access to statistics related to employee performance.
Axence nVision® provides a solution for monitoring employee performance and generating detailed statistics. With this tool, it is easy to track employee activity, time spent on specific tasks, and overall productivity. These statistics are presented in a user-friendly web interface, allowing stakeholders to clearly understand employee work and performance.
12. Implementing Device Monitoring Policies to Ensure GDPR Compliance
IT administrators managing remote teams should implement monitoring policies on corporate devices to ensure accountability and GDPR compliance. Having objective data about employee activity on corporate devices is essential for analyzing incidents and potential violations. Without such data, investigations can become subjective and difficult to resolve.
Axence nVision® addresses this challenge by allowing administrators to monitor and track employee activity on their workstations. This simplifies incident analysis and accountability while ensuring compliance with GDPR regulations.
Conclusion
Remote work has become the new norm for most organizations, but along with convenience, it has introduced significant cybersecurity challenges. Statistics show that companies failing to control operating system updates, antivirus protection, the use of cloud services, or employee activities on corporate devices face serious risks of data breaches and financial losses.
Implementing a comprehensive security approach—ranging from cryptographic encryption and DLP solutions to proactive monitoring, HelpDesk, and knowledge bases—enables organizations to build a holistic security system that considers both technical and human factors.
Axence nVision® demonstrates that integrating tools into a single platform increases IT department efficiency, reduces risks, and ensures transparency in regulatory compliance. This way, organizations gain not only technical protection but also the ability to boost productivity, ensure accountability, and maintain the trust of clients and partners in the digital era.
