[Misty Stewart]

In 2020, when many people started working from home, companies faced new digital security problems. One big issue was that employees used home Wi-Fi, which is often not secure, making it easier for hackers to break in. Many workers also used their own devices, which didn’t have strong security, increasing the risk of viruses, stolen data, and unauthorized access.
Scams and fake emails became more common, with criminals taking advantage of COVID-19 fears. They sent messages about things like stimulus checks and vaccines to trick people into clicking harmful links. The FBI saw a big jump in reports of cyberattacks, as hackers targeted people working remotely.
Another problem was with remote access tools like VPNs. Companies rushed to set these up, sometimes making mistakes or missing important updates, which left systems open to attack. IT teams had trouble keeping up with software updates, and some employees used weak passwords or didn’t have extra security steps like multi-factor authentication. Some staff also used apps or cloud services that weren’t approved, which made things less secure.
Ransomware attacks and data breaches increased. Hackers would steal data before locking it up and then threaten to leak it publicly. About 1 in 5 organizations had a security breach linked to remote work. Many employees weren’t trained well enough for remote work risks, so they made mistakes like falling for scams or mishandling sensitive information. At home, documents and devices were more likely to be seen by family or visitors, which could lead to accidental leaks.
To deal with these problems, companies improved employee training and focused more on security awareness. Many started using “Zero Trust” security, which means never automatically trusting anyone and always checking. They also invested more in cloud security tools, encryption, and better access controls. Finally, organizations updated their plans for responding to cyberattacks and worked together more to handle threats.