With many employees still working from home, there are a variety of risks that employers need to take into consideration. Smart home technology is a popular option for many homeowners, and likely some of your employees have integrated this technology into their homes.
While smart home technology can make us feel safer, it can also put you at risk for a security breach and other cyber-related attacks.
Smart Home Technology Risks
Smart home technology works on the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling them to connect to the internet. The information that these devices collect is saved in the cloud and is organized in order to understand the homeowner’s behavior patterns.
While this helps create a great user experience, think about the consequences for your business if your business information ends up in the wrong hands. This can happen because your employees most likely don’t have the same protections your business has in their homes. The information on their work laptop might be exposed through their smart home technology. There are several ways that smart home technology can be breached, including:
Spying and Monitoring
Typically, smart home devices rely on video and audio recording. Devices such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa can eavesdrop, recording everything that is being said within the home. While this may seem harmless, it can lead to issues if there is a security breach.
Hackers can manipulate your smart home cameras and audio devices to issue commands. This allows them to keep tabs on the home, including what you say and do.
To help prevent this, you will need to delete your conversations to keep them from being stolen and consider shutting the Wi-Fi off when you are not home or when you need privacy to keep the smart home system from recording you. Also, be sure that you are using a secure Wi-Fi router.
Identity Theft
This is another common risk associated with smart home technology. Hackers can now target your service providers’ databases to gain access to your personal information. This allows them to steal information such as your credit card number, social security number, and bank account numbers to make unauthorized purchases in your name.
This can be detrimental to your employees, and if they have your business account information stored on their computer, it could also be detrimental to your business.
Be sure to pay close attention to your credit card billing cycle. Be sure to activate security features on your mobile phone. If you connect to public Wi-Fi, be sure to use a virtual private network (VPN), utilize firewalls, and malware-detection software installed on your computer.
Third-Party Apps
Many smart homes allow for remote access so you can change the temperature of the home, lock and unlock the doors, etc., from anywhere. This is done using a third-party mobile app. If the app is not properly secured, it provides hackers with the opportunity to access your mobile device to steal data and commit fraudulent or criminal activities.
If your employees use their mobile phone for work while working from home, this could lead to a company data breach that could be costly to your business.
To prevent this, you must take notice of the permissions that are being granted to third-party apps when you install them. Only allow access to the features you need. Also, be sure to activate two-step verification to strengthen the security of your account. We also recommend that you double-check any links that pop up while using the app, and if you can’t verify that it is a legitimate link, do not click on it.
How Can You Protect Your Business From Home Security Risks?
To help protect your business while employees are working remotely, you need to have a plan in place with a work-from-home security policy. While you can’t fully control the devices that are used to access your network as employees work from home, you can make them more secure.
We recommend developing a security policy specifically for remote workers. In your remote work security policy, be sure to include:
Clearly defined positions for remote work.
Make sure you are transparent with your employees. Define each job function clearly so they understand what functions they are allowed to perform remotely and which ones they cannot due to security risks. Not every position in your company is a good fit for remote work. With a clear guide in place that employees can understand, you prevent your work-from-home decisions from being judged as unfair.
A list of approved tools and platforms for employees.
You also need to create a list for employees, both remote and in-office, of the approved tools such as communication and video conferencing tools, cloud storage, and project management tools. This will keep all employees on the same page and makes it easier to keep the IT utilized in your business secure.
Steps to follow in the event of a security incident.
Education is key for handling a security incident among your employees. It’s better to be prepared for such an event by putting together an Incidence Response Plan (IRP) before an incident occurs. If the company’s information has been compromised, then a security incident can become a security breach that requires an immediate response. Your employees must have a clear set of instructions to follow. They need to know whom to report the incident to, and what needs to be done to respond and recover from the incident. You will want to include these steps in your company’s IRP and cybersecurity training as well.
Work with Cybersecurity Experts at CMIT Solutions
At CMIT Solutions, we have the experience and the tools needed to help you protect your business, especially if you have remote workers. Our expert team will create a custom security strategy by assessing your cybersecurity needs and prioritizing issues based on threat probability and business impact.
Additionally, we will eliminate severe security risks by implementing a multi-layered defense and scheduling a periodic inspection of your total IT infrastructure. We will also manage your cybersecurity and review your defense daily to keep your company’s data safe.
Contact us today to learn more!