Are you concerned about data security? The outbreak of Covid-19 has left multiple governments of the world flailing, businesses unprepared, and people on a constant lookout for sanitizers and masks – matching their worth to nothing less than gold.
As people struggle to maintain their lives on this edge, and with a global health emergency being declared, most corporations and enterprises are having to work from home. Many of the bigger tech companies were the first to arrange for their employees to start working from home and followinf government announcements worldwide, the rest have followed.
As such, having a remote working policy is bound to get more and more popular as long as the crisis persists (which looks to be a very long time). As a business owner or a member of staff, it is now necessary to have a flexible working environment and that means we have to set up our IT infrastructure in the best manner to ensure the optimum experience while working remotely.
Now, while we facilitate employees to work from home, this arrangement calls for active involvement across two key areas, namely, budget and investment. More importantly, security is a paramount concern thanks to the danger of data hacking and a data security breach. For most companies, this would upset the whole scenario.
According to a report released by Cisco, more than 5% of employees run a high risk while transferring files from home and office computers and can potentially run the risk of your organisation losing money to recovering the data that has been breached or lost. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to maintain data security while your team is working from home. In this post, we take a look at five useful tips to ironclad your data while your employees work remotely.
Establish a secure connection
The first and foremost safety measure for all remotely working employees is to establish a highly secure network. Starting with using a VPN, that help prevent data breach by hackers from and keep corporate profile secure while one uses a potentially unsecured public internet.
Also, one should consider adopting multi-factor identification for all confidential files and email logins. Additionally, one can also make use of a remote desktop security layer that can limit all organisation files from being copied or saving the same to your employee’s computer remotely.
Create a crystal clear remote working policy
Remote working always means that you take on added responsibility. Hence, developing a strict remote working policy is the need of the hour. Even if we get over the corona crisis, the remote working policy guidelines can be followed at a later stage, as required.
Ideally, a typical remote working policy document should cover a range of essentials that include the following:
- A detailed schedule of security updates and protocols
- Approved messaging and other communication applications
- Detailed guidelines on backing up your data
IT tools and resources
Working from home can feel like a privilege for those who seldom get to spend time at home. However, a company should take care that an employee is well equipped with the right set of tools and skills that will help monitor the working phase as well as render adequate support to one and all co-workers.
An excellent way to offer a data security strategy for all remote workers is to have your IT team gain remote control over all devices and activities. Some of the general factors to start with include the privacy of browsers, firewall configurations, password management, and account lockouts.
Protection for all devices in use
Another critical aspect of implementing a security strategy for remote working is to offer active protection for devices in use. This will ensure you keep them protected against viruses, unauthorised access and malware.
You should encourage the entire remote workforce to adopt best practices for PC security, like regular updating of their operating systems and associated applications. Additionally, it’s also crucial that they only install apps from a trusted source.
Maximum use of web-based applications
While working remotely, it is of utmost importance that you give preference to web-based applications. Using cloud services is a good way to go and protect your data from a range of potential security threats.
When you choose a provider, always double-check the services that you are about to receive and the level of protection it promises. In case you aren’t sure of the services that will be beneficial for you, always seek help from your office IT consultants to explore your options.
Wrap up
So, you see, as a business owner, it’s not that difficult to establish a remote working environment in times of crisis. While a lot is being said and done, it all boils down to how you implement the rules of your remote working policy and how your team adheres to it in the long run.
Remember that remote working can be a lot of fun as you don’t have to go to the office all dressed up and can stay back home and work in your pajamas (if not on video calls!). Given the current scenario where isolation and social distancing are being prescribed, remote working can be the best measure to adopt in order to keep the show running.
When you have a data security strategy in hand, you can be rest assured that you have every bit of information under protection, no matter which team member has access to it while working remotely. Additionally, it also encourages the entire remote workforce to become more and more aware of when and where to access the company data.
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