The World May Be Settling Down, But Remote Work Phishing Threats Aren’t
Remote work phishing threats have become a big factor to be calculated into every company’s cybersecurity plan. In 2020 we saw exactly how a perfect storm of circumstances that lead to a tsunami of cybercrime, especially phishing. This included the public’s desire for new information about COVID-19. The mountain of Dark Web data increased. We experienced a sudden shift to remote work. Add to these factors economic challenges and inadequate remote security. Bad actors got to work to capitalize on this opportunity. They did so by sending out record amounts of phishing email designed to ensnare the unwary. And many remote workers got caught up in their nets.
COVID-19 and Remote Workers Made 2020 a Banner Year for Phishing
Remote work opened up a new landscape of challenges for businesses. Many weren’t prepared for the onslaught of risks and vulnerabilities that come with supporting a remote workforce. COVID-19 threats only compounded an already dangerous situation. More than 55% of remote workers rely on email as their primary form of communication with their coworkers. But fewer than 55% of companies engage in regular phishing resistance training.
This is surprising, because 60% of organizations believe it’s inevitable that they’ll fall victim to an email-based attack over the course of the next year. And they’re probably right. Phishing is the gateway to a rogues’ gallery of damaging cybercrime like ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and credential theft. As a matter of fact, an astonishing 90% of incidents that end in a data breach start with a phishing email.
Remote Work is Sticking Around for the Long Haul
Unfortunately, the reliance on email as a primary form of communication for remote workers combined with pandemic stress equated to a loss of email security. Over 50% of remote workers surveyed in a recent report said they were more error-prone while stressed. More than 40% said they made more mistakes when they were tired or distracted. Altogether 43% of the workers surveyed reported that they had made mistakes resulting in cybersecurity repercussions for themselves or their company while working remotely.
Security Awareness Training Can’t Wait
Do you believe that you and your staff can spot a phishing attack? Here’s one of our prior blogs that gives some tips. But knowing the basics isn’t enough when you need to make sure that everyone in your office is properly trained. Effective security awareness training is possible whether you’re in the office or working remotely. Security awareness training needs to be reinforced at least quarterly to remain effective. Besides, why would you put it off when security awareness training including phishing threats can reduce your company’s chance of a cybersecurity disaster by up to 70%?
Fortunately, we’ve got the ideal solution to do the job. Within our Enhanced Cybersecurity product, we offer training that includes the following:
- Plug-and-play phishing simulation kits that empower you to start training fast
- More than 50 engaging, animated videos that provide easy-to-understand threat information
- Online testing measures retention to show who needs more help
- New training materials are added monthly to cover the latest threats like COVID-19
Simple, Cost-Effective Protection Works Against Phishing Threats
Phishing-related cybercrime is only evolving to become more dangerous. Defend your organization against phishing with consistent phishing resistance and security awareness training. Contact the experts at Rent-A-Nerd, Inc. to see how our solutions can help you fight back against phishing at a price you’ll love.
