As organizations wind down ahead of the new year, many are undoubtedly reflecting on the trials and tribulations of 2020. One of the biggest hurdles for countless organizations was the move to remote work, which many accomplished virtually overnight. The rapidity of this shift and the fact that many of the data access, protection and security measures in place to protect onsite data, did not lend themselves easily to a work from home (WFH) environment led to a dramatic increase in cybercrime. In fact, with an historic level of employees scattered across distributed enterprises, security incidents sparked by email phishing attacks grew 80% according to this year’s Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report.
When examining the research regarding remote work trends for 2021, the data suggests that 25-30% of employees will continue working remotely from a virtualized work environment for one or more days a week. This aligns with data collected prior to the pandemic, where organizations were already moving towards models that incorporated remote work in some capacity. This is due to its undeniable benefits such as cost savings, a wider pool of potential professional resources, a reduction in absenteeism, increased productivity and loyalty, and the list goes on. In effect, 2020 only sped up the process. With offices considering the possibility of reopening in 2021, a hybrid remote work landscape appears more likely for many businesses — with employees opting to continue working entirely remotely or choosing to come into the office just a couple days a week.
While organizations continue to consider the future of their physical office space and facilities, many will continue to rely heavily on video conferencing tools, messaging software/apps and email. And, although many of the initial bumps have been ironed out, as we have become more accustomed to and reliant on these forms of communication, others have grown in severity. Unsurprisingly, these modes of communication have become prime targets for cybercrime. Since the start of the pandemic, email phishing scams have most notably been used as catalysts for these attacks, especially when seemingly providing information about vaccines, testing or the virus itself.
So, what can be done? Training employees to look out for suspicious email addresses, thinking twice before clicking links, implementing strong passwords, and questioning requests for personal information can help to combat the proliferation of such attacks, but don’t encompass some of the other issues unique to working from home. Without the oversight and support of an onsite IT professional or team, employees might be tempted to use personal devices, break with defined security protocols, or simply not update their software as regularly and appropriately as they would if they were in the office.
Additionally, for the various businesses and employees relying on cloud service providers for backup, working remotely can affect their endpoints, which require data protection. However, some backup systems don’t require employees to access their services through a VPN, creating blind spots for data protection strategies in legacy backup systems. And of course, VPNs can open a pandora’s box of security problems as well.
When considering the amount of risks associated with remote work, it can seem daunting to ensure business continuity and maintain employee wellness, however an effective backup strategy will help organizations to fortify their data and fend off cybercriminals. While it’s not the only step in the data protection process, it does serve as a foundation for defense. Although cyberattacks have increased and grown in sophistication, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to data backup. Instead, organizations must examine the tools and practices they have implemented for remote work and note where adjustments can be made. For many, this simply means continuing education around cybersecurity best practices and reinforcing the basics of backup.
One of the most resilient backup methods for businesses is the 3-2-1 backup rule. With a minimum of three different copies of data saved in multiple locations, organizations are better prepared to recover data and avoid disruption to their business operations as a result of natural or manmade disasters, ransomware or other accidents. The data should be stored on the computer, on local storage and on an offsite storage. This can include disks, the cloud, NAS devices and tapes, all of which are more easily accessible in today’s world.
With the past year presenting so many businesses with more hurdles than ever, navigating the nuances of a hybrid or fully remote work model in 2021 may seem daunting. While organizations can’t ensure every at-home office environment will be fully protected against cybercrime, adding the 3-2-1 backup rule to their business arsenal will go a long way in protecting data, and combating ransomware, phishing scams and other cyberattacks in 2021 and beyond.
Retrospect, a StorCentric company
