How You Can Safeguard Your Startup From Common Remote Work Threats

These days, more startups than ever before are relying on distributed workforces to function. There are countless good reasons for that. One is that employees value the ability to work from home. Providing that opportunity helps startups attract top talent early in their development. Another is that remote workers help startups avoid unnecessary overhead. The trouble is that the average startup's biggest asset is its intellectual property (IP). And having far-flung workers in multiple security environments can put that precious IP at risk. To help, here are some of the simplest ways startups can protect themselves from common remote work threats.

Eliminate Passwords

Of all the digital threats remote workers face, phishing scams are the most common. So far this year, they accounted for 43% of initial breach attempts among remote employees. Most scams revolve around a simple theme: tricking remote workers into divulging access credentials through spoofed, realistic-looking emails. Remote workers are uniquely vulnerable to the threat because they're used to getting IT requests exclusively via email.

The good news is that it's simple for startups to protect remote workers against phishing scams. All they must do is eliminate passwords. If there are no credentials to divulge, there's no way a phishing scam can succeed, after all. One of the simplest ways to eliminate passwords is to use a single sign-on (SSO) provider that supports passkeys. Passkeys use encryption keys stored on employee devices in place of passwords. Since most remote workers already use phones and laptops that support passkeys, they're a natural fit. And for the few situations where passkeys won't work, encrypted hardware keys make a perfect alternative.

Secure Remote Workers' Networks

Home routers are another common attack vector used to steal data from remote workers. By targeting those, attackers can use man-in-the-middle attacks to siphon data out of compromised networks. As a result, it's worth it for startups to provide remote workers with modern, up-to-date routers for home use. Many prosumer routers even support remote management, facilitating regular security checks.

In place of new routers, startups can require their employees to use high-quality VPNs to connect to remote work infrastructure. Those can protect against compromised routers by wrapping all connections in an encryption layer. By restricting access to business assets to known IPs from trusted VPN providers, it's possible to enforce their use as well. Now is the perfect time for startups to roll out a VPN policy by taking advantage of the generous Cyber Monday VPN deals right around the corner.

Leverage Cloud Desktops

One of the biggest IT security challenges startups face when it comes to remote workers is the myriad of devices they may use to do their work. It isn't easy to keep a heterogeneous array of devices up to date and secure, particularly without physical access to them. The simplest way to avoid problems is to ensure no business data ends up on those devices in the first place. An excellent way to do that is to leverage cloud desktops.

Cloud desktops enable startups to provide a consistent digital environment for every remote worker. They let the startup itself administer the entire environment, including customized software stacks and usage restrictions. Using cloud desktops also enables the business to dictate where its privileged data gets stored, and under what conditions. That eliminates the possibility of valuable data ending up on user hardware, where the business can't control who has access to it.

Invest in Anti-Screen Capture Solutions

Unfortunately, keeping business data off personal devices is only half of the battle startups must fight to keep their data secure. After all, there's not much stopping an attacker from infecting a user device with malware capable of taking screenshots.

Those can sit silently on a user device, ready to record everything the employee does while using their cloud desktop. Fortunately, many popular cloud desktop providers offer anti-screen-capture functionality in their client software. However, some don't, necessitating the use of third-party solutions.

There are already multiple options for startups looking to extend screen capture protection to employee devices. Unfortunately, few offer multi-platform support, making a comprehensive solution elusive. One example is SpyShelter, which enables anti-screenshot functionality on Windows PCs. On Android and iOS devices, it's typically necessary to use parental control software to enable the functionality. Startups should mandate their use on employee devices and establish penalties for noncompliance.

A More Secure All-Remote Startup

By utilizing the tactics detailed above, any startup can secure its data while embracing an all-remote workforce. Together, they blunt the most common cyber threats faced by remote workers. While no solution is foolproof, it would take an extraordinary effort by an attacker—and some unbelievable luck—for them to bypass the protection they jointly provide.