iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
India is among the worst countries in the world for remote work. The Global Remote Work Index (GRWI) by cybersecurity firm NordLayer has ranked India 64 among 108 nations. Topping the index are Denmark, Netherlands, and Germany. The index rankings have shown that India would be more suitable for a holiday than a remote working destination.
NordLayer’s GRWI has revealed the best and worst countries to work remotely according to four different criteria: cyber safety, economic safety, digital and physical infrastructure, and social safety.
Compared to last year, India has slipped 15 ranks. In 2022 NordLayer had evaluated 66 countries, as compared to 108 this year. The index was compiled by the cybersecurity company by assessing and comparing countries using four index dimensions with various attributes to evaluate general remote-work appeal. India has however performed slightly better that its neighboring countries -Pakistan (93) and Nepal (89).
“Even though some of the big tech companies recently brought their employees back to the office or introduced a hybrid work model, remote work is here to stay. It’s not just a trend – it is a fundamental shift in how we approach productivity and work-life balance. Embracing remote work empowers our teams to harness their full potential, regardless of geographical boundaries,” Donatas Tamelis, managing director at NordLayer said.
The criterion of cyber safety was evaluated according to each nation’s infrastructure, response capacity, and legal measures. Cyber safety pertains to a diverse array of factors that comprise a safe and secure digital environment required for remote work. This dimension covers infrastructure integrity, digital threat response capacity, and the level of cybersecurity-target legislation.
Economic safety was evaluated according to tourism attractiveness, English language proficiency, cost of living, and healthcare. The concept of economic safety entails the various economic aspects of living and working in a particular country. It refers to the cost of living, healthcare access, ease of communication, and opportunities for quality free time.
Digital and physical infrastructure was judged by the nation’s internet quality and affordability, e-infrastructure, e-government, and physical infrastructure. The dimension of digital & physical infrastructure refers to the country’s digital capabilities to provide and support a stable, fast, and broad internet service and ensure convenient and safe physical infrastructure for traveling around.
Social safety was evaluated according to personal rights, inclusiveness, and safety. Social safety incorporates social and physical security aspects of working and living remotely. It combines the components of overall safety from crimes within a country with metrics evaluating equity and access to human rights.
In cybersecurity, India is ranked 56th in the GRWI, and in the economic safety category, the country ranks 55th in the global index. India’s low ranking can be attributed to its poor scores in all four dimensions. The country’s digital and physical infrastructure and social safety notched the worst scores in the categories. For its digital and physical infrastructure, GRWI has ranked India 77 and 74th in the social safety category.
The GRWI has some more bad news for India – the country’s e-infrastructure has been ranked 95, among the world’s worst. India’s internet connection has been termed as neither affordable (rank: 78) nor good quality (rank: 70). Regarding social safety, India has once again figured at the bottom of the index, as one of the most isolated countries globally with a low personal rights index (88) and poor inclusiveness environment (65).
Though India is one of the cheapest destinations with the third lowest cost of living, its healthcare infrastructure still is among the worst in the world – GRWI has ranked it 93 and that would not be appealing for travelers. India however does have a reasonable cyberinfrastructure – rank 13 and response capacity, rank 19. In cyberinfrastructure Pakistan has been ranked 62, and Nepal 78.
Another positive element, as per the GRWI, is India’s tourism attractiveness (13), which is better than Pakistan (18) and Nepal (22). However, where the cost-of-living index is concerned Pakistan is ranked 1 while India is 3 and Nepal is 5. English proficiency in India (58) is marginally better than Nepal (61) and Pakistan (64).
For people interested in remote work, Tamelis recommends practicing good cybersecurity practices – always use a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN encrypts your internet connection and helps protect your personal information from prying eyes. It is especially crucial when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. Ensure that all your devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, have the latest software updates installed. These updates often include security patches that can help protect against known vulnerabilities.
Tamelis advises remote workers to be cautious with public Wi-Fi and avoid accessing sensitive information such as online banking or entering passwords on public Wi-Fi networks unless you are using a VPN. Hackers can easily intercept data on unsecured networks. Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible for your email accounts, social media profiles, and other online services you use while traveling. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification during login. Use strong and unique passwords. Create strong passwords for each of your online accounts and avoid using the same password across multiple platforms. Consider using a password manager like NordPass to securely store and generate complex passwords.
“In the age of remote work, cybersecurity is not just an option. It’s a critical necessity to safeguard our data and protect our organization from evolving cyber threats. Working remotely opens up new opportunities, but it also exposes us to potential security risks. Cybersecurity vigilance is our first line of defense,” says Tamelis.
Top 10 countries for remote work according to NordLayer’s GRWI:
Denmark
Netherlands
Germany
Spain
Sweden
Portugal
Estonia
Lithuania
Ireland
Slovakia
