homepage
Open menu Go one level top
  • Train and Certify
    • Get Started in Cyber
    • Courses & Certifications
    • Training Roadmap
    • Search For Training
    • Online Training
    • OnDemand
    • Live Training
    • Summits
    • Cyber Ranges
    • College Degrees & Certificates
    • NICE Framework
    • DoDD 8140
    • Specials
  • Manage Your Team
    • Overview
    • Group Purchasing
    • Why Work with SANS
    • Build Your Team
    • Hire Cyber Talent
    • Team Development
    • Private Training
    • Security Awareness Training
    • Leadership Training
    • Industries
  • Resources
    • Overview
    • Reading Room
    • Webcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Blog
    • Tip of The Day
    • Posters
    • Top 25 Programming Errors
    • The Critical Security Controls
    • Security Policy Project
    • Critical Vulnerability Recaps
    • Affiliate Directory
  • Focus Areas
    • Blue Team Operations
    • Cloud Security
    • Digital Forensics & Incident Response
    • Industrial Control Systems
    • Leadership
    • Offensive Operations
  • Get Involved
    • Overview
    • Work Study
    • Teach for SANS
    • Partnerships
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Join the Community
  • About
    • About SANS
    • Instructors
    • Mission
    • Initiatives
    • Diversity
    • Awards
    • Contact
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Customer Reviews
    • Press
  • Log In
  • Join
  • Contact Us
  • SANS Sites
    • GIAC Security Certifications
    • Internet Storm Center
    • SANS Technology Institute
    • Security Awareness Training
  • Search
  1. Home >
  2. Blog >
  3. Making Security Simple – Key for Securing Your WFH Workforce
370x370_Lance-Spitzner.jpg
Lance Spitzner

Making Security Simple – Key for Securing Your WFH Workforce

Almost all of us are dealing with the unprecedent migration of enabling our workforce to work from home. For many organizations this is a huge...

April 23, 2020

Almost all of us are dealing with the unprecedent migration of enabling our workforce to work from home. For many organizations this is a huge challenge as they lack the technologies and processes to enable this to securely happen. But even more challenging is for our employees themselves, many of whom may have never worked from home. For them this is an overwhelming time of confusion as they deal with new technologies, new processes and even new working environments. Add to the chaos of change is many employees are also supporting working at home spouses or even kids eLearning at home.

To successfully secure such a workforce we have to keep in mind just how difficult this change is for people. Any new security behaviors, processes or requirements we want to teach have to be as simple as possible. In academic terms we want to avoid what is called choice overload or cognitive overload. The human brain can only process and learn so much during a certain period of time, and in many ways people are already overloaded with all the recent change. As such, we have to teach people as little as possible.

This may sound counter-intuitive to many, especially security professionals who feel we have to address every new risk, which implies we have to communicate and train on as many security behaviors and policies as possible. But we quickly hit the point of overloading our workforce, basically they dump everything you told them and simply move on. The key is reducing what you need to teach people to the absolute bare essentials, and then communicate those fundamentals in a super simple way for anyone to understand. For example, for people working at home the three fundamental risks we recommend you focus on are

  • You: People have become the primary attack vector (phishing email, phone call and text messaging scams, etc). Teach people what social engineering is and the most common indicators of such an attack. Especially with WFH workforce - people, and not technology, are your best defense.
  • Passwords: Teach not only what is a good password (hint: passphrases) but how to safely and securely use them. Remember, both password complexity and password expiration is dead. Make passwords simple, perhaps even provide password managers for your workforce.
  • Updating: The most secure devices, programs and mobile apps are updated ones, make sure people keep their systems updated and current. Promote automatic updating when possible.

Regardless of what you communicate or how, attempt to keep it as short and as simple to consume as possible. We highly recommend working with your communications and marketing teams, they are experts at this. In many ways SANS has already done the work for you by releasing the Work From Home Deployment Kit, a strategic planning guide and hundreds of commercial training videos and resources we have released for free, and in over 30 languages, which you can use. Finally, if you want to learn more, we highly recommend you consider the two-day MGT433 Security Awareness or the MGT521 Security Culture virtual courses which you can take at home.

Remember, security may be simple for you and me, but can be complex, overwhelming and confusing for the rest of the world. The key step to helping secure your workforce is to make security as simple as possible. And quite often, that is not that simple.

Share:
TwitterLinkedInFacebook
Copy url Url was copied to clipboard
Subscribe to SANS Newsletters
Join the SANS Community to receive the latest curated cybersecurity news, vulnerabilities, and mitigations, training opportunities, plus our webcast schedule.
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Australia
India
Japan
Singapore
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard And McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kiribati
Korea, Republic Of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States Of
Moldova, Republic Of
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Bartholemy
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome And Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
St. Helena
St. Pierre And Miquelon
Suriname
Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad And Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks And Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wallis And Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Tags:
  • Security Awareness

Related Content

Blog
Security Awareness
April 16, 2021
Strategically Managing Your Human Risk – Leverage the Security Awareness Maturity Model
Establish a strategic roadmap to both plan and communicate the impact of a security awareness program.
370x370_Lance-Spitzner.jpg
Lance Spitzner
read more
Blog
Security Awareness
April 6, 2021
The Facebook Breach: What to Share with Your Workforce
Provide your employees with several simple steps to protect themselves, if they are concerned their data was obtained and released.
370x370_Lance-Spitzner.jpg
Lance Spitzner
read more
Blog
Security Awareness
March 23, 2021
Insights from the 6th Annual SANS Security Awareness Report: Managing Human Risk
I’m super excited to announce the 2021 SANS Security Awareness Report™ is now available. Inspired by the Verizon DBIR, this report enables organizations to benchmark their security awareness efforts and make data-driven decisions on how to improve and mature their programs. As always, not only...
370x370_Lance-Spitzner.jpg
Lance Spitzner
read more
  • Register to Learn
  • Courses
  • Certifications
  • Degree Programs
  • Cyber Ranges
  • Job Tools
  • Security Policy Project
  • Posters
  • The Critical Security Controls
  • Focus Areas
  • Blue Team Operations
  • Cloud Security
  • Cybersecurity Leadership
  • Digital Forensics
  • Industrial Control Systems
  • Offensive Operations
Subscribe to SANS Newsletters
Join the SANS Community to receive the latest curated cybersecurity news, vulnerabilities, and mitigations, training opportunities, plus our webcast schedule.
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Australia
India
Japan
Singapore
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard And McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kiribati
Korea, Republic Of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States Of
Moldova, Republic Of
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Bartholemy
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome And Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
St. Helena
St. Pierre And Miquelon
Suriname
Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad And Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks And Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wallis And Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
  • © 2021 SANS™ Institute
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn