Awareness Tips for Hybrid and Remote Employees

The shift to remote and hybrid work has dramatically transformed the cybersecurity landscape for organisations. While flexible work models bring convenience and efficiency, they also introduce new vulnerabilities that cybercriminals are eager to exploit. To address these challenges, it’s essential to equip employees with the knowledge and tools they need to protect themselves and the organisation while working from home or in hybrid environments.

In this blog article, we’ll share practical training and awareness strategies designed to help employees stay secure and vigilant in remote and hybrid work settings.

Why Cybersecurity Awareness Matters in Hybrid Work

When working remotely or in a hybrid setup, employees often operate outside the controlled safety of an office network. This can expose both individuals and the organisation to risks such as:

• Unsecured Wi-Fi networks: Home and public networks may lack robust security configurations.

• Phishing attacks: Cybercriminals increasingly target remote workers with convincing messages aimed at stealing credentials or spreading malware.

• Device vulnerabilities: Personal or unmanaged devices used for work may not have enterprise-level protection.

• Data leaks: Sensitive information is more prone to mishandling when accessed from multiple locations.

Cybersecurity awareness training plays a vital role in reducing these risks and fostering a strong culture of security across the workforce.

Training Tips for Hybrid and Remote Employees

1. Secure Your Home Network

Employees should ensure their home Wi-Fi networks are properly protected by:

• Changing default router passwords to strong, unique ones.

• Enabling WPA3 encryption (or WPA2 if WPA3 isn’t available).

• Regularly updating router firmware to patch vulnerabilities.

Providing simple, step-by-step guides or short tutorial videos can help employees complete these tasks confidently and correctly.

2. Spot Phishing Attempts

Phishing remains one of the most common threats facing remote and hybrid workers. Employees should be trained to recognise phishing attempts by watching for:

• Suspicious or unfamiliar sender addresses and domains.

• Generic greetings such as “Dear Customer” instead of personal names.

• Urgent or alarming messages designed to provoke panic (e.g., “Your account will be locked unless you act now!”).

If a malicious email is suspected, it should be reported immediately using the organisation’s designated reporting tool or contact address.

3. Use Strong Passwords and Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Encourage employees to create strong, unique passwords for every account and to enable multifactor authentication wherever possible. MFA adds an essential layer of protection against unauthorised access and significantly reduces the impact of compromised credentials.

4. Lock Devices When Not in Use

Employees should always lock their devices when stepping away from their workspace—whether at home, in the office, or in a public setting—to prevent unauthorised access or data exposure.

Awareness Tips for Everyday Security Practices

1. Be Mindful of Physical Security

Hybrid work often involves moving between home, office, and public spaces such as cafés or coworking hubs. Remind employees to:

• Never leave devices unattended in public areas.

• Use privacy screens when working in shared or open environments.

• Store laptops securely in a locked boot or out of sight when travelling.

2. Update Software Regularly

Outdated software creates opportunities for attackers to exploit known vulnerabilities. Employees should:

• Reboot their devices when prompted to complete updates.

• Enable automatic updates for operating systems, browsers, and applications whenever possible.

3. Report Suspicious Activity Immediately

If any unusual activity, potential data leak, or lost or stolen device is detected, employees should report it immediately through the organisation’s standard incident reporting process or designated support channel.

Building a Culture of Security Awareness

The aim is to embed cybersecurity into the organisation’s culture so that secure behaviour becomes second nature—whether employees are working from home, the office, or elsewhere.

Remember: cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. By working together and staying vigilant, we can keep our organisation safe—no matter where we work from.