The benefits of remote working for businesses are undoubtedly clear. Remote working provides employees with greater flexibility (so they can work how they want), it saves space in the office, and it can even help to reduce costs.
However, it is not without its risks. So, with the security risks of working remotely being very real, how can you ensure your employees stay secure when working remotely and away from the office?
Practice Better Password Management
Passwords are often the weakest link. A weak password that can be guessed or easily cracked is an easy entry for cybercriminals, so ensure your employees know about the benefits of stronger passwords and that they use them for all of their devices.
Random, long passwords are almost impossible to crack. If you use a password manager like LastPass to keep them safe and secure, there is no need to remember them.
“So, one thing a lot of companies do is to set up team members with passwords to all the different sites and tools.
When you’ve got quite a lot of people and quite a lot of tools, it can be difficult to keep track of everything.
We use LastPass to keep track of all of it, so we have control over all the security. If something happens we can just pull someone’s access right away. Makes life a lot easier.”
Ensure Docs Are Hosted Securely
When clients or team members are working on business documents remotely, make sure that this can be done securely. The best option is to ensure docs are hosted securely in the cloud store using SharePoint or another secure option. That way the docs will remain secure no matter which devices they are being accessed on.
Keep Physical Devices Secure
Educate your employees on how to keep their devices secure when they are using them to work remotely. The biggest risk is that they will lose their laptops or phones in a public place like a cafe or on a train, so work devices should never be left alone.
The second line of defense is to encrypt the devices themselves. That way, if they are stolen, the data on them will stay safe.
Another way to make your devices more secure is to make them trackable. You should have the option to locate your device on most phones, tablets, and laptops, so set this up and you will stand a better chance of recovering lost or stolen devices.
should also be set up on all devices. This allows you to delete the data securely on a device to provide an extra layer of protection in case it is stolen.
Additionally, you might want to consider using asset tracking. This provides you with a way to track all of your assets, including mobile devices so that you always know where they are and who has them. This is often achieved by attaching barcodes to the physical devices and scanning them, but other options are available.
To add an extra layer of security, encourage your employees to use antivirus software on their devices if they use them for work. Or you could ensure they don’t use their devices at all for business activities and provide your own security devices instead.
Premium Security Services
Using security services provided by industry giants is a way to ensure a good level of protection. Lauren Crystal, Manager of Your Creative Agency, adds that using premium services such as Amazon Web Service (AWS) Cloud security ensures quality. You can relax knowing that your security sits alongside the security that Netflix use.
Use Mobile Device Management (MDM)
MDM is security software that is used to manage and secure mobile devices used by your employees. It comprises a range of products and services that provides your organization with end-to-end security, protecting not only the devices themselves but also the data and apps on them.
Avoid Public WiFi
Protect Devices with AntiVirus
Make sure your employees all have up-to-date antivirus software and firewalls installed on their devices. Risks are everywhere, and mistakes happen, but good antivirus software will help to protect devices from viruses and malware.
Ensure your employees avoid using public WiFi to access sensitive information online, which involves any critical business data. They should only access such information via a secure connection. Public WiFi is simply not secure enough, so draw up a set of guidelines for your employees so they know what they can and cannot do.
Practice Better Email Security
Email is another easy way for hackers to gain access to your systems. Encrypt work emails so the content within them stays safe and sensitive information can only be seen by the recipients. You should also provide guidelines on how to spot phishing emails, and remind employees of the dangers of opening attachments unless they are sure that they have been sent from trusted sources.
Be Careful with USB Devices
Removable USB sticks can be infected with malware, so your employees should never use these in any of their devices. Don’t allow anyone to plug USB sticks into their computers without first getting their security checked by the IT department, even if they come from trusted sources.
Use a VPN
Kristen Youngs from One Bag Nomad, says: “Because our business operates 100% online, security has been a huge factor from the start. One of the absolute best tips I can give is to invest in a good VPN, which is software that protects the transfer of sensitive information online. With a VPN, you can access accounts and other private info without worrying about someone else accessing it alongside you, without you ever knowing. Always use a VPN when working remotely.”
Keep Remote Employees Safe
Remote working is becoming more popular, and you may want to allow your employees to work remotely. Even if you don’t have flexible work arrangements, your employees may still need to take their laptops on business trips and carry them on public transport.