Summer is the season of vacations, conferences, and working from anywhere. As more employees check in from airports, hotels, cafés, or vacation homes, cybersecurity risks increase significantly.
When staff work remotely or travel, they often rely on unsecured networks, unfamiliar devices, and may unintentionally let their guard down when it comes to cybersecurity best practices. Cybercriminals know this—and they are ready to take advantage.
Here’s how remote and traveling employees can put your company at risk, and what you can do to keep your data safe no matter where your team is working.
Why Remote and Traveling Employees Are High-Risk Targets
Public Wi-Fi Dangers
Public networks like those in hotels, airports, and cafés are often unsecured. Hackers can intercept data through man-in-the-middle attacks, gaining access to sensitive company information.
Device Loss or Theft
Phones, laptops, and tablets are at a higher risk of being lost or stolen while traveling. If these devices aren’t properly secured, they can offer easy entry points into your company’s systems.
Phishing Attacks on the Go
Employees checking email on mobile devices are more likely to click on phishing links without carefully verifying the sender, URLs, or suspicious attachments.
Unsecure File Sharing
Remote staff may use personal email, free file-sharing apps, or USB drives to transfer documents, bypassing company security protocols.
Weakened Oversight
When employees work outside the office, IT teams may have less visibility into device security, network connections, and account activity.
How to Protect Your Company’s Data
Use a VPN for Remote Connections
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic, making it much harder for hackers to intercept data on public Wi-Fi.
Provide Company-Managed Devices
Set up company laptops and mobile devices with security tools like antivirus software, encryption, remote wipe capability, and automatic updates.
Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA adds an extra layer of security so that even if login credentials are stolen, unauthorized access is still blocked.
Train Employees on Mobile Phishing
Remind staff to carefully review emails, especially when working from their phones or other mobile devices where it is harder to spot red flags.
Limit Data Access When Traveling
Only provide remote and traveling employees with access to the systems and files they need, reducing exposure if a device is lost or compromised.
Monitor Remote Activity
Set up monitoring tools to detect suspicious login attempts, strange device activity, or unusual file transfers that could indicate a security threat.
Cybersecurity Should Travel With You
Whether your employees are on vacation, traveling for business, or working remotely for the summer, cybersecurity cannot take a back seat. Simple, proactive measures can keep your company’s data safe—no matter where your team logs in.
If you’re looking to strengthen your remote security, ETS IT Solutions offers secure VPN setups, mobile security solutions, and 24/7 monitoring to protect your business wherever work happens. Contact us today to learn more.
