As remote working expands, so does your digital footprint2 min read

The push for cloud computing, allowing for an increase in remote working even before the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic came into play, has certainly changed the way businesses and teams operate. As businesses look to either continue remote working or shift to a partial remote, partial office model, it is a good time to investigate what this means for an organisation’s digital footprint and overall cybersecurity.

Generally speaking, ensuring that data is held in a central cloud system has allowed for streamlined processes, a key positive outcome of digital transformation. However, this has also led to an increased dependency on third-party providers, as organisations often don’t have the capacity to host a data centre that can fulfil their needs.

Furthermore, the heightened use of tools for video conferencing or remote team work means there are more accounts. Ultimately, an organisation’s attack surface is likely to have grown exponentially due to remote working. While this may not seem like a priority, it is a key piece of an organisation’s cybersecurity strategy.

To prevent hackers from gaining access to your systems, it’s worthwhile to ensure that employees practice strong cybersecurity habits, such as creating strong, unique passwords for the various tools they use. Employees may use the same or similar passwords across their accounts for these tools, making it easier to hack or perform credential theft. Additionally, make sure that employees know not to share passwords over insecure networks, or in conjunction with other information that would allow a hacker to take advantage.

Though these may seem like simple steps, they can go a long way to securing an organisation’s systems. As a significant amount of data breaches stem from third-party incidents, employees can never be too careful with their information and credentials.

Want to get a handle on your organisation’s digital footprint? Check out our digital risk management platform, CyDesk.