Protect Your Remote Workforce from Data Loss

Managed Services and Employee Management Solutions

A remote workforce is no longer just a trend. It is a smart business decision that was originally affirmed by the need to recruit qualified and talented individuals. Prior to the new millennium, technology facilitated the emergence of flexible work schedules and locations to attract desirable candidates. In 2020, the workforce of the world went remote. Unless a business and its team of employees requires a physical presence to produce a product or personally serve a customer, they are working remotely to protect and preserve their health and the health of the community. The reality? Many organizations were not fully prepared to support their teams outside of the office environment. Much less were they ready to do so overnight. In that quick transition, many organizations’ IT personnel have been challenged to keep up with the daily needs of a multi-location employee base. According to Fast Company, remote work is not going away anytime soon, “It will continue to be the new normal.” So, how does IT keep up?

To add to the frenzy, cybercriminals are well aware of the ‘new normal’ and are taking advantage of it.

Reports of computer scams and hacking activity are in the news. There are currently two most common remote employee scams.

Videoconferencing Scams

Zoom and Microsoft Teams are two videoconferencing platforms that have seen their share of users increase significantly in recent months. Microsoft reported that Teams now has 75 million users, up 70% in 2020, and Zoom’s influence has surpassed 300 million daily meeting participants. Accordingly, hackers are easily infecting computers with malware by “spoofing” (or faking) these websites’ domains and sending fake meeting invites and emails. The goals of the hackers are simple: lead the victim to click on a link that ends up on an ambushed webpage. Once this goal is accomplished, they have access to user-compromising information and your company’s business.

VPN Scams

Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are secure connections to the company network. According to Statista, there was a 124% increase in VPN usage in March of this year in the United States. VPN scams come with a higher cost: they have the potential to control all Internet traffic going to or from a device. Free or absurdly expensive VPNs are often scams, even ones with good reviews. A Berkeley study of free/cheap VPNs found that 82% attempted to access personal user data, and 38% contained malware.

IT departments are challenged to keep up. Industry trends show that finding top talent that can handle a multitude of technology matters can be daunting. Investing in a managed services partner who can protect and respond to your organization’s IT needs can provide significant benefits in the short and long term. Responsive, effective, and highly knowledgeable professionals can protect your business from malware and hackers, and deploy several strategies, including Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) systems to protect data from permanent loss.

A managed services partner provides the total IT solution to keeping your business at its best. It allows you to focus on your business, without the daily concerns of technology management. When downtime is not an option, managed services and employee management solutions makes sense. LightWork® Managed Services is a leading provider of managed IT services for small to mid-sized businesses. To learn how you can save time, energy, and resources with LightWork Managed Services click here.