How Remote Employees Accidentally Expose Business Data

Remote work gives small businesses more flexibility, but it also means your business data is being accessed from more places, networks, and devices.

Here are some of the most common remote work security risks and practical ways to protect your small business data.

Key takeaways:

Remote employees can accidentally expose business data through phishing, unsafe Wi-Fi, personal devices, lost devices, or improper file sharing.
Clear security rules can reduce the risk without making remote work unnecessarily complicated.
Employees should use strong, unique passwords and secure devices and connections when accessing company data.
A VPN can help protect internet traffic when employees work on public or untrusted Wi-Fi.
Security tools, employee awareness, and better visibility across business devices and accounts can help you catch problems sooner.

How Remote Employees Can Put Your Small Business Data at Risk

While working remotely flexibility is great for you and your employees, it also increases the risk of data leaks.

Here are some common ways employees and collaborators can unintentionally expose sensitive business information.

They connect to unsecured networks. One of the most common risks remote employees face is working over unsecured Wi-Fi networks in cafés, airports, or hotels. A man-in-the-middle attack is a type of cyberattack where hackers intercept data sent over an unsecured network, allowing them to steal sensitive information like login credentials or financial data.

Example: Imagine your employee is working from a café on a public Wi-Fi network. They access your company's cloud storage and download files. Meanwhile, a hacker on the same network intercepts the data. Without the right security measures, your business data could be exposed in minutes.

They use personal devices to access work folders or systems.

Many employees working remotely use their personal devices to access work folders or systems. Unfortunately, these devices may lack essential security protections such as antivirus software, encryption, or secure configurations, and you may not even be aware of it.

They fall for scams and phishing attacks: Remote workers working from home may be targeted by phishing scams, leading them to unknowingly click on malicious links or share confidential information with cyber criminals. Distractions at home can make them even less vigilant.

They share passwords and sensitive content without knowing they shouldn't.

It's common for remote workers to collaborate using online tools, but without proper guidance, employees may unintentionally share sensitive files or passwords with the wrong people. This could happen through miscommunication, unfamiliarity with secure file-sharing practices, or accidental sharing in public forums.

They lose devices containing sensitive information. Laptops, smartphones, or storage devices containing sensitive business data can be lost or stolen. Without encryption, any data on these devices is vulnerable to unauthorized access.

How to Prevent Data Breaches When Employees Work Remotely

Provide a VPN for secure Wi-Fi connections

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) secures your employees' internet connections when they work remotely. A VPN encrypts the data traveling between your employees' devices and the internet, ensuring that even if they connect to a public network, their connection remains secure. With Bitdefender VPN, for example, your employees can safely connect to any Wi-Fi network without worrying about hackers intercepting their data as the VPN acts as a secure tunnel, hiding their IP address and encrypting all data exchanged with the network.

2. Use AI to identify scam attempts

With Scam Copilot, Bitdefender's AI-powered scam detector, you can give your team a tool to quickly analyze suspicious emails, texts, or social media messages. They can send any tricky texts, screenshots, links, or even QR codes they've received and are suspicious of in order to get an instant analysis of their safety and legitimacy.

Scam Copilot also continuously monitors incoming messages and alerts employees if a potential scam is detected, helping to prevent phishing attacks before they happen.

3. Monitor the digital identity of your small business

You can't always prevent your data from being leaked in the event of a breach at a company or software that has previously collected your personal information or login data. However, you can make sure to stay on top of exactly how much of your private data has leaked. Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection monitors over 100 personally identifiable pieces of information such as SSN, credit cards, or home address. It figures out what data surrounding your online identity has been compromised or exposed and lets you know about it. With this information, you can change passwords, update your PINs to deter future identity theft, and execute a "what to do in case of a breach" plan.

4. Activate Anti-Theft on their devices

Bitdefender Anti-Theft allows you to locate, lock, or even wipe all the data from a lost device. You can view your device's location on Google Maps and if needed, you can lock itand set a PIN for unlocking it, or remotely wipe all data from the device. Additionally, for devices with a front camera, Bitdefender can take photos of anyone trying to access your device, which you can view in the Anti-Theft dashboard.

5. Use a Password Manager

One of the simplest ways to protect your business data is by using a password manager. Employees often reuse or share passwords across multiple accounts, which increases the risk of unauthorized access. A password manager creates and stores strong, unique passwords for each account, reducing the chances of a breach caused by weak or compromised passwords.

6. Protect Your Remote Team and Small Business Data

Employees are often the first line of defense against cyberattacks, so it's essential to train them on best practices. You may not have the time to answer all their questions all the time; that's why you may find useful Scam Copilot functionality that does this for you. Scam Copilot is also a security chatbot you and your employees can consult when in doubt about a potential threat.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection, Bitdefender Premium VPN, Password Manager and Scam Copilot are included in Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security, along with other solutions, making it the most comprehensive cybersecurity suite for companies with up to 25 employees.

Check out plans, here.

FAQs

Can remote employees cause a data breach?

Yes. Remote employees can accidentally contribute to a data breach by falling for phishing scams, using compromised devices, exposing passwords, improperly sharing sensitive files, or giving attackers access to business accounts.

What are the biggest security risks of remote working?

Common remote work security risks include phishing, weak or reused passwords, unsecured or personal devices, lost or stolen devices, outdated software, unsafe Wi-Fi networks, and accidental sharing of sensitive company information.

How can I protect company data when employees work remotely?

Protect work devices, keep software updated, require strong unique passwords and multi-factor authentication, use secure file-sharing tools, provide a VPN for untrusted networks, and train employees to recognize phishing and other scams.

Is it safe for employees to use personal devices for work?

It can be, but personal devices that access company data should meet basic security requirements. They should be updated, password-protected, secured with appropriate security software, and used according to your company's rules for accessing and storing business information.

Should remote employees use a VPN?

A VPN is particularly useful when employees work on public or untrusted Wi-Fi. It encrypts internet traffic between the device and the VPN server, reducing the risk of exposing data over an unsafe network. A VPN should be used alongside other protections such as device security and multi-factor authentication.

What should I do if a remote employee loses a work laptop?

Have the employee report it immediately. Secure or revoke access to business accounts, change potentially exposed credentials, and remotely lock or wipe the device if possible. You should also determine what data was accessible from the device and whether the incident needs to be reported.

How Remote Employees Can Cause a Data Breach of Your Small Business Data (And How to Prevent It)