Five cybersecurity trends that remote workers should be aware exist

In 2023, remote work and hybrid work arrangements are still typical worldwide. Studies reveal increased worker productivity due to businesses and people using efficient work-life balance management practices that benefit all parties.

Our work environments, including cybersecurity for the home and workplace, have had to change. These are the developments that remote workers and those who operate small companies from their homes need to be aware of when it comes to cybersecurity for personal or professional devices connected to a home network.

RISE OF MALICIOUS WEB EXTENSIONS

Malicious extensions come in a variety of families and behave in various ways. 15% of all harmful web extensions were found in the U.S. in 2022, according to a new Consumer Cybersecurity Trends report by RAV researchers. Likewise, during the first half of 2022, adware families, tracking browsing activity, and pushing affiliate links were the three most frequent payloads carried by malicious web browser extensions.

The increase in harmful extensions is concerning since consumers sometimes have no idea they are being targeted, even though they can seriously harm devices. Malicious extensions may engage in harmful actions such as stealing personal information, including credit card numbers, hijacking searches, and triggering home tab takeovers. Inviting droppers that can result in installing other malicious programs on a device and replacing banners and advertisements with malicious versions that can cause the download of dangerous files are both frequent occurrences.

The availability of these extensions can be highly aggravating for many users because they are frequently unavailable on the Chrome Web Store. Frequently, they need help determining the origin of the malicious extension.

MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTIFICATION RISKS

Two-factor authentication (2FA) was developed for the first time in the 1980s, but it was in the 2010s that it started to catch on with customers. Employees started using their smartphones for personal and professional reasons, so 2FA became a widely accepted need, and its popularity rose.

With the emergence of multi-factor authentication (MFA), there are now more risks to password security and ways to get around these authenticators. 2FA bypassing is so common that one anticipates a change in the industry to incorporate three or perhaps four factors of authentication rather than just two. Sim-swapping is an emerging threat that might simplify disabling 2FA via text or email. Home users must be aware of potential hazards and encouraged to utilize as many authentication methods as possible.

ADVANCED PHISHING TECHNIQUES

The threat posed by phishing will never go away for any customer. Remote workers might be unable to consult a co-worker for advice before opening a suspicious attachment because phishing relies on social engineering.

Although this hacking technique has been used for some time, there are several recognizable warning indicators that consumers are likely already aware of, such as poor grammar, misspellings, and odd URLs. Nevertheless, as phishing has developed, new strategies have emerged that people might not be aware exist. Office document weaponization is one of the most common phishing trends, while traditional SMS and email phishing attacks are still torturing home users.

New, widely utilized apps in 2023 have made it possible for threat actors to step up their game; for instance, there is concern that AI chatbots may be exploited to create phishing emails.

SMEs NEED TO BE AWARE OF DATA BREACHES

Threat actors are increasingly targeting small and mid-sized enterprises, and individuals as large companies continue to invest millions in bolstering their cybersecurity. However, a tiny business could leave existence after one major blow.

A data breach jeopardizes the company’s integrity and can cause excessive financial loss. It also damages customer confidence in the company. What steps can small companies take to safeguard themselves and their remote workers?

The home users’ two most significant advantages are basic sense and education. It is advised to take practical preventative measures like using a firewall and other crucial elements of a complete cybersecurity suite like VPN, DNS, and an EDR solution.

STEGANOGRAPHY

The ancestor of steganography is the old practice of concealing data in plain sight in unobtrusive things. Steganography is the term used to describe concealing malicious code inside an image file that, when opened, is legitimate.

Steganography is used in malware by breaking a program down into bytes and dispersing those bytes across the data of the image. Each pixel used to represent a picture has a 24-bit definition. There are a few techniques for using pixels to conceal information, but the most popular one is to alter the pixel’s least significant bit. This way, information can be added while the colour shift remains imperceptible. As this new danger grows in popularity, AV companies must update their systems to detect these sophisticated assaults.

In conclusion, there must be signs that technological advancement and exploitation rates will slow down in 2023. In order against any current and potential risks, business executives and staff members must take further precautions. The firm must prioritize applying patches and updates when necessary if it provides its employees with software and hardware to use at home.