• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Hartman Executive Advisors

Hartman Executive Advisors

Business & IT Strategy Consulting Firm

  • Business Strategy Consulting
  • IT Management Consulting
  • IT Strategy Consulting
  • Risk Management Consulting
  • Telehealth
  • About
    • Careers
    • Community
    • Our Team
    • Testimonials
  • Services
    • Business Strategy Consulting
      • CIO Consulting Services
      • CISO Consulting Services
      • Interim Executive Placement Services
      • M&A Advisory
      • Telehealth Consulting Services
      • IT Coaching & Mentoring
      • Organizational Development
      • Process Engineering
    • Risk Management Consulting
      • CMMC Compliance Services
      • Cyber Risk Assessment
      • Governance, Risk and Compliance
      • Incident Response Planning
      • IT Due Diligence
    • IT Management Consulting
      • Change Management
      • IT Portfolio Management
      • Vendor Selection & Management
    • IT Strategy Consulting
      • Core Banking System Selection
      • FinTech Consulting Services
      • IT Strategy Assessment
      • Software Evaluation
      • Software Selection
      • Virtual Event Technology
  • Industries
    • Construction
    • Education
    • Financial Services
    • Government Contracting
    • Healthcare
    • Human Services
    • Manufacturing, Retail & Distribution
    • Nonprofit & Association
    • Real Estate
    • State & Local Government
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Case Studies
    • eBooks
    • Executive Technology Survey Results
    • Maryland CIO Roundtable
    • Speaking Engagements
  • Contact Us
(410) 587-0064 Request a Consultation
(410) 587-0064 Request a Consultation

Does Teleworking Present More Cybersecurity Risks than Working in the Office?

April 5, 2021 by The Hartman Team

Employee wearing mask working alone. Teleworking present certain cybersecurity risks to employers and employeesWhat was once the exception has become the rule. Teleworking, or the concept of employees working from home or other locations rather than a central office, has become much more common as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 29 percent of American workers were able to work from home prior to the onset of COVID-19. Today, most employees have no other choice than to work from home to meet social distancing guidelines and reduce the spread of the virus. However, there is widespread concern regarding the online safety of teleworking compared to working in a traditional office environment.

Advantages of Having a Remote Workforce

The pandemic left many businesses struggling to set up employees with the tools they needed to work from home safely and effectively. However, once the kinks were worked out, many businesses found that employees could be focused and productive when not in the office. There are also many advantages of having a remote workforce for both employers and employees.

Increased Employee Productivity and Wellness

Busy offices can lead to frequent distractions and office politics often pull employees away from their work. Working from home can yield greater productivity as there are often fewer interruptions from coworkers. Add in the lack of commute and employees also experience less stress and anxiety each day.

Reduce the Risks of Overstaffing and Layoffs

Layoff notice. Telework reduce the risks of overstaffing and layoffsMany businesses have found that maintaining a remote workforce also reduces the risks of overstaffing and layoffs. Having a flexible workforce is deemed as a scalable solution that helps businesses stay on -budget during both slow and busy times and avoid issues like layoffs and overstaffing.

Limit the Possibility of a Company-Wide Down Time

Unexpected events can force companies to completely shut down, resulting in extended periods of downtime that costs businesses a substantial sum. Businesses that maintain a remote workforce can help reduce the possibility of a company-wide outage caused by events like storms,natural disasters or a pandemic by allowing each employee to have individual access to a safe and secure online work platform.

Dangers Faced by Teleworking Organizations

Although having a remote workforce can be highly advantageous to modern businesses, teleworking does present certain risks. Businesses that work online must protect their data and infrastructure from hackers and other cybercriminals who may attempt to gain access to sensitive business information.

Personal Devices are Often More Vulnerable

Personal devices used by employees for work purposes, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, are often more susceptible to cybersecurity threats compared to devices in an office setting. Some employees’ devices may lack proper antivirus software or may not have a firewall enabled to monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic. If allowing employees to work from home, it is crucial to set policies for using personal devices and clearly explain to employees at all levels the importance of taking certain precautions.

Home Internet Connections May Be Unsecure

Employees who are not familiar with cybersecurity best practices may leave their home internet connection unsecure. An unsecure wireless connection is one that can be accessed without a password. Although unsecure connections are common in public places like cafes, leaving a connection unsecured allows other people to gain access to the connection and possibly use it with malicious intent. Having unauthorized users also uses extra bandwidth which can become costly if an employee’s ISP charges for bandwidth overages.

New Cyber Threats are Developed Every Day

Cybersecurity risks conceptThere has been a noticeable increase in cybersecurity threats over the last year. Phishing scams have become one of the top causes of data breaches that occur when a hacker sends a deceptive email that contains malicious attachments or links. When an employee clicks on the seemingly legitimate link, the hacker is able to gain access to the employee’s device. Other cyber threats that plague businesses include malware, man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, denial-of-service attacks, SQL injections, zero-day exploits and DNS tunneling.

Which Environment Presents More Risks?

Both teleworking and office environments present certain risks to employers and employees. When deciding whether to allow employees to work from a remote location, it is important to consider all aspects of that decision and make sure you have a strong security posture, including policies, training and incident response plan.
Although teleworking is not suitable for all businesses, it can prove highly valuable in certain situations.

Speak with the Cybersecurity Consultants at Hartman

The COVID-19 pandemic has made teleworking the ‘new normal.’ However, it is important to understand the very real risks that come from working remotely. To learn more about the cybersecurity risks associated with teleworking compared to traditional office environments, contact the cybersecurity consultants at Hartman Executive Advisors.

Filed Under: Cybersecurity

Primary Sidebar

Types

  • Article
  • Press
  • Vlog
  • Webinar

Topics

  • Associations & Nonprofits
  • Construction
  • COVID-19
  • Cybersecurity
  • Digital Transformation
  • Education
  • Featured
  • Financial Services
  • Hartman News
  • Healthcare
  • Human Services
  • Interim Executive Placement
  • IT Due Diligence
  • IT Management
  • IT Strategy
  • Leadership
  • Manufacturing
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Real Estate
  • Risk Management Consulting
  • State & Local Government
  • Strategic Services
  • Systems & Software
  • Telehealth

Related Blogs

Safety lock cybersecurity person touching the lock

CMMC Compliance: Requirements of the Five Levels of Certification 

February 2, 2023

Cybersecurity is a top concern for businesses in every sector, as cyberattacks have dramatically increased in recent years. The number of attacks [...]
Read More

Banking-as-a-Service and Other Financial Services Trends for 2023

January 23, 2023

The banking and financial services industries are constantly evolving, and financial institutions need to embrace new technologies to both better [...]
Read More

global internet connection application technology and digital marketing

Zero-Day Exploits: A Comprehensive Checklist For Universities And Higher Education

October 5, 2022

The term “zero-day attack” refers to a cybersecurity vulnerability or software flaw that is exploited before vendors or developers are aware of [...]
Read More

Footer

It's Time to Reach Out
Are you ready for independent IT Leadership?
Contact Us

Hartman Executive Advisors

1954 Greenspring Drive Suite 320 Timonium, MD 21093
410-587-0064

Services

  • Business Strategy Consulting
  • Risk Management Consulting
  • IT Management Consulting
  • IT Strategy Consulting

Resources

  • Blog
  • Case Studies
  • eBooks
  • Executive Technology Survey Results
  • Maryland CIO Roundtable
  • Speaking Engagements
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
Subscribe to Hartman Executive Insights
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

© 2023 Hartman Executive Advisors · Powered by 321 Web Marketing · Website Privacy Policy & Terms of Use