It’s Friday morning, and Sarah logs into work from her kitchen table – just like millions of other professionals worldwide. She checks her email, accesses sensitive customer files, and joins a video call with clients across three time zones. Meanwhile, halfway across the world, a cybercriminal is actively exploiting a misconfigured cloud service that Sarah’s company hastily deployed during the pandemic.
This scenario plays out thousands of times daily. When Colonial Pipeline paid hackers $4.4 million in ransom after a devastating attack, their CEO admitted the breach likely started with a single compromised password. With remote work now permanently embedded in our professional landscape, robust digital security isn’t just important – it’s existential.
What is Digital Security?
Digital security refers to the collection of tools, practices, and policies designed to protect digital information, systems, and networks from unauthorized access, damage, or theft. According to Vida.id, digital security “protects against threats such as computer viruses, malware, ransomware, phishing, and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.”
As explained by ECCU, digital security contains:
- Data protection: Safeguarding sensitive information
- Identity and access management (IAM): Controlling user access to resources
- Encryption: Converting data into code to prevent unauthorized access
- Endpoint security: Protecting devices that connect to your network
According to SailPoint, this creates the “CIA triad”: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.
Why It Matters in the Digital Workplace
Your organization’s perimeter now extends to every employee’s home network, coffee shop Wi-Fi, and mobile device. This expanded attack surface has created alarming vulnerabilities:
- 93% of companies can be breached through compromised credentials or vulnerable applications (PT Security)
- Remote-focused cyberattacks rose by 50% since the pandemic began (Cobalt)
- Ransomware incidents increased by 105% in 2024 alone (AAG IT Support)
As Redcentric notes, “Traditional security strategies that relied on corporate networks through established perimeters, password authentication, and wide-ranging permissions are now obsolete.”
Key Security Challenges
- BYOD Complexity: Personal devices create shadow IT – unauthorized applications operating without security controls.
- Remote Access Vulnerabilities: VPNs and remote protocols are prime targets. RDP attacks increased by 768% in 2021 (TechRadar).
- Cloud Sprawl: Uncontrolled cloud service proliferation creates inconsistent security policies. 41% of employees access sensitive information through unsecured applications (Community.Zextras).
- Human Error: “Nearly 9 out of 10 remote workers fall for phishing attempts” (Zextras Community).
When remote work is a factor, the average data breach costs $173,074 more (IBM).
The Limits of Public SaaS
Many organizations use public SaaS tools for remote collaboration, but they have significant drawbacks:
Loss of Control
- Limited visibility into data storage and processing
- Inability to customize security controls
- Dependence on the provider’s security practices
Data Exposure Risks
- Misconfigured access controls leading to leaks
- Integration vulnerabilities between platforms
- Supply chain attacks targeting providers
Compliance Challenges
- Difficulty proving compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, etc.
- Limited data residency options
- Vendor lock-in complicating migration
Rise of Private Digital Workplaces
Private digital workplaces provide comprehensive collaboration tools within an environment you control. As Zextras explains, they “guarantee full sovereignty over your data” allowing you to “be compliant with regional Data Privacy Regulations.”
Key Benefits
- Complete Data Control
- Host data within your infrastructure
- Protect sensitive data with full infrastructure ownership
- Maintain full audit trails
- Compliance Certainty
- Meet specific regulatory requirements
- Implement precise retention policies
- Provide verifiable compliance evidence
- Customization Freedom
- Adapt to your unique workflow needs
- Integrate with existing systems
- Scale resources based on actual usage
Practical Digital Security Tips
- Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) MFA requires multiple verification forms, protecting against credential compromise. Vida.id recommends combining “a password or PIN” with “a one-time code sent via email, SMS, or authentication apps.”
- Adopt TLS Encryption Everywhere Zextras Carbonio advises organizations to “enforce SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and TLS policies out of the box.”
- Embrace Zero Trust Architecture This “never trust, always verify” approach saved organizations $1.76 million in breach costs (IBM).
- Apply Least Privilege Access Provide only minimum necessary permissions and “regularly review and update access rights” (SailPoint).
- Maintain Rigorous Patching Many breaches exploit known vulnerabilities (Verizon’s DBIR).
- Conduct Regular Phishing Training Security awareness is essential as human error remains a primary attack vector.
- Adopt Passkeys for Passwordless Authentication
Passkeys offer a phishing-resistant, password-free login experience based on cryptographic keys tied to your device. Google and Apple are promoting passkeys as a secure alternative to traditional passwords, reducing reliance on weak or reused credentials. - Review App Permissions
Check which apps have access to your camera, location, microphone, and data. Remove or restrict unnecessary permissions.
Understanding the Security Spectrum
Public SaaS is like renting an apartment – convenient but with limited control over security.
Private Digital Workplace is like owning your house – complete control and customization, with greater responsibility.
As remote work continues evolving, organizations that thrive will prioritize digital security as a core business function. By understanding SaaS limitations and embracing private digital workplaces, you can create a secure environment that protects valuable assets while enabling productive collaboration.
If your organization values data privacy, compliance, and control, exploring private workplace solutions should be your priority. Want to see how these principles come together in practice? Check out The Ultimate Private Workplace for real-world strategies to protect what matters most.