How to make employee PCs safer in the wild

How to make Employees are the number one gateway for cyberattacks. Criminals try to get them to click on malicious links, download malicious attachments or steal their login details in order to gain access to the company network via their PCs. Hybrid working models increase the attack surfaces and thus the risk that hackers will be successful.

Companies are aware of this danger and are therefore taking numerous security measures to protect their employees when working remotely or from home. They secure end devices with next-generation antivirus solutions, set up VPN connections for external access to the company network and protect access to applications with multi-factor authentication.

However, there are other ways to further increase IT security in times of hybrid working models that are often overlooked by companies despite all their caution.

1. Also look for anomalies below the operating system

Antivirus programs are active at the operating system level and therefore do not detect attacks that target the underlying BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). This system controls important core Ireland Phone Number List functions of a PC, such as booting up. If criminals nest there, they practically have the entire PC under control. Companies can prevent this with special security tools that are able to automatically detect a compromised BIOS.

2. Pay attention to physical protection
Physical protection of end devices is just as important as virtual protection. If employees are working with their PCs in public places, they should protect their screens from prying eyes. This can be done with privacy filters, which can be used to reduce the viewing angle of the screen at the touch of a button. This way, no one who is not directly in front of it can see anything. With chassis intrusion detection tools, companies can also protect PCs from physical attacks. As soon as an unauthorized person removes the cover of a device, not only the owner but also the responsible system administrator is notified.

3. Support biometric authentication

There are few better methods for unlocking devices Cell Phone Number Database securely than biometric methods. Fingerprints, for example, are difficult to fake and cannot be lost or stolen. Facial recognition also offers an extremely high level of security because it is almost impossible to outsmart. In addition, the owners of the devices are not forced to remember PINs and passwords or store them anywhere. The complexity and high costs of solutions for capturing fingerprints and creating facial scans with PCs are a thing of the past, meaning that companies can now use them more easily.

4. Raise awareness and keep employees alert

Even the best security systems are powerless if users act inexperienced or carelessly. Companies can sensitize their employees to general dangers and the current tricks used by cyber criminals Bulk Database by holding regular security training sessions. In order to keep their employees permanently alert, they can also carry out tests on a regular basis, for example by sending random test phishing emails.

“Companies have numerous options to better protect their hybrid employees from cyberattacks.” Explains Ute Riester, Senior Manager Field Product Management Client Solutions at Dell Technologies. “However, it is important that they ensure a balance between usability and security. Your employees should be able to use the security tools easily. If security measures cause too much effort and limit productivity. Employees will look for – and find – ways to circumvent them.”