How to manage security with remote working teams

The post-COVID-19 world of remote and hybrid working has opened up employees to a whole new way of working flexibly. However, this has come at the cost of security, as home offices aren’t as well equipped to protect business assets.

This is especially true for small businesses, which may not have the capability to mitigate these issues as well as a large organisation. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Australians lost more money to scams in 2022 than ever before, with small business losses doubling from 2021 to $13.7 million.

“While remote and hybrid working environments deliver flexibility and agility to SMBs to let them drive productivity and have access to a more diverse talent pool, they also introduce new risks,” said Sojung Lee, TeamViewer’s Asia-Pacific president.

“Managing bring your own devices (BYOD) has been a headache for IT personnel for years, especially in under-resourced teams or SMBs running lean. Now with disparate working environments complicating the landscape, there are more complexities for the network, including visibility of distributed software and hardware.”

The biggest forms of scamming were payment redirection scams, also known as business email compromise. In total, there was a 73 per cent increase in scam losses for Australian businesses in 2022, totalling $23.2 million. Over half of the losses were from small and micro businesses.

TeamViewer noted that a beneficial investment for SMBs with remote workers is remote management tools. This gives organisations remote access to computers and IT systems, allowing for added support and protection.

“Remote management tools play an important part in decentralised workplaces. Many organisations have now incorporated this technology into their business structure because of the connectivity it provides as well as the ability to access, control, manage, monitor, and repair devices in real time,” explained Ms Lee.

“However, ensuring these tools are secure is most important because they can expose businesses to potential malicious activity if not managed correctly.”

Ms Lee said cyber security is essential to protecting assets during remote working.

“Good cyber security hygiene is just as important as general health and hygiene. For the best possible protection, SMBs should choose tools that are designed with security at their core, instead of as an add-on,” she said.

“Businesses must invest in secure remote management tools that let them centrally oversee and manage their IT inventory at a glance, as well as solutions that facilitate the auditability of connections, so IT teams can easily see where a connection is coming from.”

Keeping systems up to date is the key to continued protection. If outdated software is used, it’s much easier for hackers and scammers to cause damage.

Ms Lee continued: “Outdated software is a treasure trove for malicious threat actors, so it’s essential for SMBs to invest in the latest protections to keep their cyber security posture up to date.”

“Securing as much of the network as possible is critical for maintaining good cyber security, and ensuring that security is a priority in every new technology a business deploys is essential, including remote management tools. The latest innovative remote connection solutions can provide more protection for networks.”