News

Security and Remote Work

July 14, 2021

Security and Teleworking. Strength in Numbers.

Although remote work was already a concept that companies were gradually beginning to implement, in a short time and due to various circumstances, most organizations have been forced to adopt this work model. Remote work has rapidly entered the lives of many workers to ensure business continuity within the context of digital transformation. It is because of this acceleration that it is vital to combine the concepts of remote work with security for effective operation.

We are at a point where digitalization is here to stay, especially now that circumstances allow it. Many companies have had to adapt quickly to having their entire workforce distributed and employees beginning to work from home. This drastic shift to remote work has taken place without full awareness of all its implications and the vulnerabilities it creates, especially at a time when cyberattacks continue to rise.

“Cybercrime is the number one crime in the world. In Spain, the number of attacks on SMEs increased by 186%. The number of incidents has reached 55 billion”
Source: OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)

The number of workers currently teleworking has continued to rise, reaching nearly 100%. This implementation, which was initially intended to be phased in, has ultimately become mandatory for many companies.

This has caused initial uncertainty and discomfort for many companies and their employees, who have been forced to have their workers work from home without any precedent. Neither side felt prepared for the change, but they have been forced to accept it.

“79% of workers are already teleworking.”
Source: PGI Global Teleworking Study

“78% of Spaniards say they are satisfied with this arrangement.”
“teleworking is a decisive factor when choosing a job.”
Source: El Economista

Since the implementation of teleworking, to protect against and try to avoid all the vulnerabilities created by the situation, it was essential to combine the concept of teleworking with security since, in general, from home, workers do not have the security and many of the amenities that they do have in the office or at the company’s facilities .

They do not have the same facilities or the same secure network as the company does.
The equipment changes if the company does not provide computer equipment.
Communication between employees and supervisors changes (communication becomes digital).
There is not the same security and digital control is lost.

That is why, with the implementation of remote work, companies must be more careful and cautious with their employees and equip the entire organization with appropriate security measures and protocols to avoid future problems or prevent the creation of new vulnerabilities that did not previously exist.

How can you implement an action plan to ensure cybersecurity in remote work?

Currently, determining how to implement an action plan to ensure cybersecurity in remote work is one of the biggest challenges facing organizations and IT teams. Due to the adoption of remote work applications, data, users, and their devices are moving outside the company’s control thereby exponentially increasing the likelihood of being attacked.

At Tranxfer, we want to remind you of some key points for security in remote work:

Establish a secure VPN connection

Employees need remote access to information and resources stored on corporate networks. That is why it is vital to establish a secure connection so that no one can access this information. It is important to create a virtual private network (VPN) as a solution to network issues and thus avoid potential vulnerabilities. Using a VPN will protect the information transmitted between the client and the server.

76% of respondents expect an increase in remote access in the short term.
Source: IDC study

Two-factor authentication

It will be essential for both the company and the employee to authenticate the content that is sent and opened.This ensures that only authorized individuals can access the sent documents. It will also be necessary to verify who accesses each device and the company’s various content.

Communication encryption

Communication encryption is the process of encoding or encrypting data so that only someone with the means to restore it to its original state can read it. This encryption ensures that the recipient can access the information only if they are the person the sender intends.

Avoid BYOD

The concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is becoming more popular, and this poses a problem for IT staff, as they have less control over the devices users employ to access corporate applications and data. When an employee uses a personal device, which they also use for personal purposes, they put the organization at risk. To ensure good security when working remotely , the company must provide each of its employees with the necessary electronic devices to be used exclusively for work.

“The shift to remote work has led 47% of companies to report an increase in the use of personal devices for work. As a result, a total of 82% of the companies surveyed say they actively allow BYOD in some form”
Source: Digital Transformation Magazine

Zero Trust

The Zero Trust</ a> is based on the idea that organizations should not trust any internal or external entity that enters their perimeter. It assumes that there may be attackers both inside and outside the network.

How Tranxfer Can Help Solve These Problems

Using Tranxfer can solve many of the problems mentioned above and ensure security when working remotely. Tranxfer offers:

Send and receive files securely

Tranxfer ensures the secure and traceable sending and receiving of files thanks to its technical features.

Choose your sending and viewing preferences

With Tranxfer, you can select and restrict users from viewing documents to maintain full control over all files and documents sent. You can also use the “view-only” module

where a watermark will be automatically added to the documents, and the recipient will only be able to view the files—they cannot download or edit them.

Prevents malware from entering or leaving your system

Tranxfer includes a Integrated Antivirus to prevent malware. It is constantly updated, operates with flexible and scalable multi-threading, and utilizes a command-line scanner and advanced tools.

Controls information leaks

With the DLP module from Tranxfer, you can control and prevent the unauthorized leakage of information outside the company. This module acts as a security barrier to prevent unwanted information leaks, whether intentional or unintentional.

End-to-End (E2E) Encryption

With E2E encryption Tranxfer maintains the confidentiality and integrity of files from end to end. We secure transfers with E2E encryption using digital signature techniques to ensure that the genuine version of the file is available.

Two-factor authentication

Tranxfer uses two-factor authentication via email or SMS to ensure that documents or files reach the recipient properly.

O365 Plugin

The Office 365 Plugin allows you to work seamlessly within your email, making remote work easier and more efficient. With this plugin, you also avoid having programs running unnecessarily.

At Tranxfer, we really like a quote from Miguel Monzó, our Chief Technology Officer, because we believe it perfectly defines how remote work—or work in general—should relate to security. It goes like this: