{"id":35396,"date":"2020-05-14T03:05:16","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T07:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?post_type=emagazine&#038;p=35396"},"modified":"2022-08-04T10:16:21","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T14:16:21","slug":"covid19-homeworking-survey","status":"publish","type":"emagazine","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/covid19-homeworking-survey\/35396\/","title":{"rendered":"Research shows IT security change needed in wake of COVID-19 work-from-home move"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For those fortunate enough to be in work, COVID-19 has changed working life. Social distancing means many usually based in an office now work from home. It certainly has its benefits.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MBwUn9fTzUk?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Cybersecurity needs for remote workers are also changing, as cybercriminals adapt to new opportunities for compromise. For example, they\u2019re taking advantage of heightened interest in news about COVID-19 and changes in habits. We\u2019ve seen an increase in phishing attacks, like\u00a0<u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/coronavirus-phishing\/32395\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">COVID-19 advice emails from hackers\u00a0pretending to be healthcare organizations<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p>The Kaspersky team dived deeper to find out how this is affecting employees. The report <u><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2020\/05\/03191550\/6471_COVID-19_WFH_Report_WEB.pdf\">How COVID-19 changed the way people work<\/a><\/u> came out of interviewing more than 6,000 people in 12 countries. It found many businesses ill-equipped many to face homeworking security challenges. These are some of the report\u2019s highlights.<\/p>\n<h2>Personal use of work equipment causes blushes<\/h2>\n<p>A good way for hackers to access your corporate network right now is when employees use corporate equipment for personal tasks. Or when they use corporate networks through unsecured or poorly secured personal devices.<\/p>\n<p>More than one in two respondents have corporate equipment to work from home, but two-thirds said they use personal computers. That means IT and data security teams may have less visibility about corporate data use. It\u2019s particularly concerning, because 84 percent of those using personal computers for work also let others in their household use those same computers.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no problem as we\u2019re all using anti-virus software, right? Good work, the one in three employers who\u2019ve provided homeworkers with anti-virus software for their personal devices. For those that haven\u2019t, devices, and so corporate data, could be easily hacked.<\/p>\n<p>What you do on your device could lead to more blushes. One in three respondents admitted to visiting adult websites on personal computers they use for work. <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/porn-themed-threats-report\/20891\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Cybercriminals use porn as a\u00a0hook to seduce victims<\/a><\/u>, then steal bank card details or trick the victim into installing malware. That\u2019s one way to get a red face and a red bank balance.<\/p>\n<h2>Fridges can eat corporate data<\/h2>\n<p>How employees connect to your network is critical. Cybercriminals love the remote desktop software companies have been installing to let employees access internal systems. Since the beginning of March 2020, there\u2019s been a <u><a href=\"https:\/\/securelist.com\/remote-spring-the-rise-of-rdp-bruteforce-attacks\/96820\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sharp rise in attacks on ports open for Microsoft\u2019s popular remote desktop protocol tool, RDP<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p>When connecting remotely to the corporate network from home, employees don\u2019t think about what else is linked to their home router. It might be a smart fridge or vacuum cleaner that\u2019s smarter than it lets on, thanks to <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/internet-of-vulnerabilities\/20303\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">internet of things security vulnerabilities<\/a><\/u>. The home router may also be poorly protected or already compromised.<\/p>\n<p>A virtual private network (VPN) can solve both problems. With a VPN, work machines communicate with the corporate network over a secure channel. Direct connections are blocked. But the report found only one in two employees use a VPN.<\/p>\n<h2>Homeworking isn\u2019t home comforts for all<\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s good evidence to support the benefits of <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/remote-flexible-working-benefits\/28115\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">flexible and homeworking<\/a><\/u>, but the sudden transition hasn\u2019t suited everyone. One in two respondents hadn\u2019t worked from home before.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>One in three say their situation is now less comfortable or they don\u2019t have enough space. One in four respondents don\u2019t have a separate workspace at home. This could lead to discomfort, using bar stools or slouched on a sofa to work with a laptop. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>With nine in ten respondents living with others, there can be strains from life with new \u2018co-workers.\u2019 One in three parents have had arguments with their children over internet use and find it hard to control how their kids use the internet, on top of the challenges of home-schooling and juggling childcare with work.<br>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-35398\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2020\/05\/14030226\/covid19_homeworking_survey_inline-1024x768.png\" alt=\"covid19 homeworking survey\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\">Despite these problems, three in ten still think they\u2019re more productive working at home. Four in ten say they\u2019re equally productive.<\/p>\n<h2>How can you improve your work-from-home life?<\/h2>\n<p>The report proposes ways of addressing the more common work-from-home frustrations. Alena Reva, Kaspersky\u2019s Vice President of Human Resources, North America, points to existing knowledge of what works:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudies of groups working in Antarctica show that eventually, our brains turn on \u2018psychological hibernation\u2019 to cope with stress. If that\u2019s happening to you, maybe ask for time off and have a week of self-care: Get sunlight, talk to friends and family, and read your favorite books.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For those with children at home, Alena recommends revisiting routines. \u201cI have an autistic eight-year-old at home who can barely tolerate any changes. Most kids thrive on structure, so you need to create one that works for your household. If you and your partner have to work, a schedule can help.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTry the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/francescocirillo.com\/pages\/pomodoro-technique\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Pomodoro Technique<\/a><\/u>. Here, the first partner works for 25 minutes then takes a five-minute break, while the second partner watches the kids. Then switch. Research shows 25-minute intervals are best for productivity \u2013 it creates just enough urgency to eliminate distractions so you can concentrate. And most kids can focus for 25\u00a0minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mental health when working from home presents particular challenges, especially for managers looking out for their team\u2019s wellbeing. Two leading workplace psychologists say there are <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/homeworking-mental-health\/34941\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">things we can do to help ourselves and our colleagues stay mentally well<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<h2>How can you help your employees be more secure?<\/h2>\n<p>Human behavior causes most corporate data breaches, so raising employee cyber awareness is one of the best ways to take action against cybercrime. Leaders should be thinking about <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/cybersecurity-training-homeworkers\/34942\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">how to deliver cybersecurity training in effective ways for homeworkers<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p>For better engagement in the learning material and more bang for their time, use adaptive learning, meaning, learning that assesses and adapts to each person\u2019s level of knowledge, skill and confidence. <u><a href=\"https:\/\/go.kaspersky.com\/stay_secure_course.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">\u2018Stay safe, stay secure\u2019 is an ideal, free course for employees new to remote working<\/a><\/u>. It covers things like choosing strong passwords, the importance of endpoint protection and regular software updates in just 30 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re an IT manager, you\u2019ll want to set your business up for security success. Make sure you know the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/telecommuting-cybersecurity\/34206\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">biggest cybersecurity pitfalls with remote workers and what you can do<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p>Homeworking, while necessary right now, should be part of a cultural shift to digital transformation. It\u2019s time to set the path for the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/securing-home-workers\/34711\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">cultural change to make secure homeworking a success<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was published in May, 2020.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new report shows the rapid shift to working from home has left corporate security in the lurch and recommends ways to improve support and security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2521,"featured_media":35397,"template":"","coauthors":[3452],"class_list":{"0":"post-35396","1":"emagazine","2":"type-emagazine","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"emagazine-category-remote-working","7":"emagazine-category-work-anywhere","8":"emagazine-tag-covid-19","9":"emagazine-tag-data-security","10":"emagazine-tag-research"},"hreflang":[{"hreflang":"x-default","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/covid19-homeworking-survey\/35396\/"},{"hreflang":"en-gb","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.uk\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/covid19-homeworking-survey\/20474\/"}],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emagazine\/35396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emagazine"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/emagazine"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2521"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=35396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}