AFC CHALLENGES
( more on that below ). Most home modems / routers are provided by cable , and internet service providers come with passwords ; many users will either remove the password or change it to something easier to remember ( generally , easier to crack ).
You would probably not be surprised to see how many people sacrifice security or privacy for convenience ( as evidenced by the rise of social media , smartphones and most other trends in technology ). As such , when a home network does not have password strength requirements , many individuals will make “ password ” their password . 1 So often so that one of the most common passwords in the world is actually “ au4a83 .” If you do not see the connection , type it on a Taiwanese keyboard and run it through your favorite translation software to find that it will read “ password .” As it turns out , nearly 70 % of all passwords on home networks fall under the “ cracked within minutes using commonly available software ” category . 2 One should keep in mind what could happen to their sensitive corporate data in this environment .
While it can be easy to simply establish a policy that home networks must be “ secure ” for remote workers , what does this actually entail ? Does it address the myriad ways that an unsecured network could be compromised ? Just like within the four walls of your organization ’ s primary office ( or server room ), some of the risks you could face are listed below :
If employees connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks , their data can be intercepted and stolen by hackers
1 . Unsecured Wi-Fi networks : If employees connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks , their data can be intercepted and stolen by hackers . This can include sensitive company information such as login credentials , financial data and customer information .
2 . Phishing attacks : Employees working from home may be more susceptible to phishing attacks , where attackers use fraudulent emails or other methods to trick employees into revealing sensitive information . This can include login credentials , financial data and other company information .
3 . Malware attacks : Malware is a type of software designed to harm or exploit computer systems . If employees work on computers that do not have adequate anti-virus software installed ( or anti-virus software that has not been updated regularly ), their devices are more susceptible to malware attacks that can steal or damage company data .
4 . Physical security risks : When employees work from home , they may not have the same physical security measures in place as they would in an office setting . For example , someone could gain access to an employee ’ s device or information if it is left unattended in a public place or if the employee ’ s home is burglarized .
5 . Lack of backup and recovery options : If an employee ’ s device is lost , stolen or damaged , there may be no backup or recovery options in place to restore important data . This can result in permanent data loss for the organization .
Meanwhile , many more potential risks lurk in the background , such as shadow IT , use of end-of-life software and systems , poorly configured firewall settings or even the unauthorized transfer of sensitive data to other devices for either convenience or malicious duplication . These threats further compound the problem , particularly considering that one in three American households has a home computer infected with malware . 3 In fact , Graphic 1 provides details on the $ 1 million difference in cost between data breaches where remote work was a factor and those where it was not a factor .
26 acamstoday . org