When an employee works from the office, their device is protected by the corporate firewall, segmented network, and enterprise network security policies. When they work from home or a café, none of those protections are present. 67% of security breaches reported in Spanish SMEs in 2025 originated from remote work devices or connections.
The hybrid model is here to stay, but most SMEs have not adapted their security architecture for an environment where employees access company systems from home networks, hotels, coworking spaces, or while travelling. Traditional perimeter security no longer works when the perimeter is diffuse.
The Five Risk Vectors of Remote Work
Unsecured WiFi Networks
Home and public networks don't have corporate network security controls. An attacker on the same network can intercept unencrypted traffic.
Unmanaged Devices
Laptops without encryption, outdated antivirus, and no applied security policies. A lost or stolen laptop can expose all corporate information.
Weak Credentials Without MFA
Remote access credentials are attackers' top target. Without MFA, a password stolen in a phishing attack grants full access to all systems.
Shadow IT
Remote employees using unauthorised applications (personal Dropbox, WhatsApp for corporate documents) to compensate for a lack of adequate tools.
Essential Security Measures for Remote Work
The starting point is multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all remote access systems: VPN, corporate email, cloud applications, and admin panels. 99.9% of account compromise attacks are blocked by MFA. The second priority measure is mobile device management (MDM): a centralised system that applies security policies, encrypts the disk, enables remote wipe in case of loss, and keeps software updated on all corporate devices.
81% of data breaches related to remote work are due to compromised credentials. Multi-factor authentication eliminates 99.9% of these risks.
Zero Trust: The Security Model for the Hybrid World
The Zero Trust model starts from the premise that no user, device, or application should be trusted by default, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the corporate network. Each access to a resource must be explicitly verified (identity + device + context) and privileges must be minimal and temporary. For SMEs, Zero Trust adoption can begin with three steps: universal MFA, access segmentation by role, and anomalous behaviour monitoring.
Want to review the security posture of your remote working environment and implement corrective measures? Contact our team .