7 Cybersecurity Challenges Of Remote Working You Might Face
10 June 2025
5 Mins Read
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Working remotely can change your life. The freedom to work anywhere in the world can open up almost limitless possibilities for your career.
However, as cybersecurity statistics will show you, making a living online exposes you to security risks.
As more workers migrate online, more hackers attempt to exploit them. In 2024, attempted cyberattacks surged by 75% compared to the previous year, with an average of 1,876 attacks per organization per week.
That shouldn’t put you off. Not really, because once you understand the risks you will face, there’s a lot you can do to protect yourself.
Let’s say you’re a seasoned remote worker or just considering options. Here are some risks you’ll face. And how to deal with them.
Cybersecurity Challenges Of Remote Working: How Does Remote Work Affect Cybersecurity?
I recently came across a survey by the Pew Research Center in February 2023. This found that 35% of remote-capable workers were working from home full-time.
Meanwhile, 41% had a mixed schedule that included both remote and in-office work. Most CEOs plan to maintain these work arrangements.
Only 4% of CEOs surveyed in late 2023, both in the U.S. and globally, stated that they would focus on bringing all workers back to the office full-time.
What Are The Various Cybersecurity Challenges Of Remote Working?
When you work remotely, it presents a security risk for lots of reasons. As a remote worker, you may not have the resources or equipment to do so.
Additionally, you may also lack the skills to secure your online information properly. So, you might wonder, how can you prevent it, right?
Therefore, to be fully secure, here are some ways remote work can increase security risks for you and any company you work for.
1. There’s More To Attack
What does more remote workers mean? More devices and networks are being used to access the same information.
You might be habituated to everyone working in one office on a single network with similar devices.
Still, now you can access data from anywhere in the world with any device; therefore, that gives hackers more potential targets to choose from.
2. Less Oversight
In a centralized workplace, a security team can keep an eye on what workers are doing and what’s going on with their devices. When you work remotely, that becomes much more difficult.
Remote work can increase the risk of data breaches in lots of ways. Let’s say you are working at a co-working cafe. A lot of us prefer to do that, right?
However, you may accidentally share sensitive information on your screen with someone. It’s much harder for a workplace security team to prevent accidents like this.
3. Compliance With Data Regulations
We all understand that data regulations differ from one jurisdiction to another. However, the whole point of remote work is that you can work from anywhere.
You might come across Certain contracts that may specify that information is only to be processed in the USA, for example, or the EU.
But a remote worker may access that data from outside that jurisdiction. That can put you in breach of the regulations before you even realize it.
4. Vulnerable Hardware
Many remote workers use their own devices to do their jobs. Unfortunately, an organization can usually not verify that its devices are up-to-date and fully secure.
5. Vulnerable Networks
It’s not just hardware. In a centralized office, an organization can secure the network everyone uses.
However, remote workers may be using a network at home or in a public place that is not secure. Public networks, in particular, pose significant security challenges.
6. Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks can happen to anyone, whether remote or not. However, remote workers are under less direct supervision. They may be more likely to click on suspicious links.
Additionally, it’s more challenging for a remote worker to verify that the link they were sent originates from a colleague.
What you need to understand here is that you can’t just lean toward the nearest desk and ask the person who sent it to you. This makes it easier for scammers to impersonate:
- Coworkers
- Customers
- Business partners.
Then, they can get you to log in to a fake site, giving them access to sensitive data.
7. AI attacks
AI is the new frontier in cybersecurity. Increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence can be used to mimic a person’s writing style, voice, or even face.
For remote workers who aren’t around their coworkers, it can be hard to distinguish fakes from the real thing.
Then, they might unknowingly share sensitive information with criminals and hackers.
How To Stay Secure From Cybersecurity Challenges Of Remote Working?
As a remote worker, you need to take cybersecurity seriously. You’ll need to implement best practices for addressing security threats to keep your client’s information safe.
Here’s how:
- Firstly, you can keep your devices up to date with security updates.
- Secondly, you can use strong passwords and multifactor authentication. A password manager can make your passwords much harder to guess, and MFA prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing your data.
- Thirdly, you can pay attention to securing your devices. You can use a lock screen with a strong password and full disk encryption on your laptop.
It’s also a good idea to enable remote wipe features in case your device is stolen.
- Finally, you can try using a VPN. A Virtual Private Network encrypts your Internet traffic, making it unreadable to anyone who intercepts it. This is especially important when using public or unsecured Wi-Fi.
Cybersecurity Challenges Of Remote Working: Putting An End To It
When you work remotely, it comes with the responsibility of keeping a client’s data safe. Adopt these practices to protect your remote work.,
Additionally, these will also help you maintain a professional presence wherever you are.
However, do you know the worst part? Let’s say you are taking steps to address cybersecurity issues in remote work settings.
Even then, you can’t fully prepare for cyberattacks or their effects on society without a cyber insurance policy.
If a cyberattack occurs, your insurance provider offers legal and financial protection against different types of attacks, including
- Data destruction
- Hacking
- Data extortion
- Data theft.
This policy protects against various threats. It provides you with peace of mind against issues such as phishing scams, malware, ransomware, and other cybercrimes.
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