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HCR Law Events

10 January 2021

How to bolster your cyber security in a home-working world

With people spending more time online, and record numbers of people accessing work systems from home networks, cyber security has been a chief concern for employers during this pandemic. Barracuda, which has been monitoring global Covid-19-related cyber incidents, reported a +6,500% increase from January (137 incidents) to March (9,116 incidents) last year.

New research, published in our Future Workspaces report, show that hackers are taking advantage of the weakened digital defences of home-workers. While this doesn’t compare to the severity of human loss during the pandemic, it nevertheless shares some characteristics; the scale that crosses geographical boundaries; the potential social and financial impacts from business disruption; and the fundamental requirement for behavioural change to reduce this risk.

The move towards regular remote-working presents some key challenges for employers to address, and Nicola McNeely, a partner in the Commercial Team and Head of Technology offers six key points that employers should consider when facilitating working from home:

  1. Make use of a VPN. Using a VPN on a PC, laptop or mobile device creates an encrypted network connection. This will increase security of data for employers whilst ensuring employees can still access their work IT resources.
  2. Ensure your work network has tight security provisions, being sufficiently patched with sufficient security configurations.
  3. Update your cybersecurity policy to cover remote working. This will need to consider protections covering remote access, employee use of personal devices, and updated data privacy considerations.
  4. Ensure that your insurance policy provides adequate cover for employees working from home.
  5. Provide sufficient guidance to employees in spotting and reporting suspicious activity, such as coronavirus phishing campaigns. Communicate updated advice regularly to employees to act as reminders.
  6. Check for sector, or industry-specific rules and regulations in relation to the handling of information and work products and, if necessary, implement practices that ensure you do not breach them.

If you require support with your data and cyber security challenges, Nicola and her Technology Team, are here to help.

We would also like to give you access to the full 95-page Future Workspaces report, of which cyber security is one of many topics discussed and debated. Download your free copy here.

 

 

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About the Author
Nicola McNeely, Partner, Head of Technology Sector

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Nicola McNeely is a Cardiff based solicitor, specialising in Technology.

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