Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve all been experiencing a lot of change to our personal and work lives. For a majority of us, federal and state mandates have made our home also become our office space. Thankfully, technology and the Internet has made it easy for many of us to continue to work from the comfort of our own home. But for company leaders, rapid change into a remote workforce environment can heighten a company’s security risk profile. As we adjust our business operations to function in a completely remote environment, doing whatever we must to keep work happening, keep these tips to help maintain a healthy and secure network.
1. Confirm Wi-Fi connections are secure.
Most workers probably have a password for their home Wi-Fi but it’s a good practice to confirm those connections are secure and not available to neighbors or malicious parties. Require remote workers to ensure private connections and encourage them to take the extra step to secure their home routers with an updated password.
2. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Many of us are familiar with VPNs as a solution to extend a private network across a public network in order for employees to send and receive data. VPN technology allows remote users to access a company network, so it’s a good idea to incorporate encryption as part of your business’s VPN connection if your organization works with sensitive information.
3. Update Security Software
Ensure security software is fully updated including privacy tools, patches and all add-ons for browsers on all corporate devices including tablets and laptops. While it’s unlikely employees will be working in a shared space, it’s a good measure to include data erasure functions in the event a device is lost or stolen.
4. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication
Limit authentication and encryption access and restrict installation of apps onto devices. Two-factor or two-step verification such as email/text message confirmation, facial recognition or a key fob, is a good idea to ensure an extra layer of protection to your most critical data.
5. Back Up the Work and Data
Make sure work is regularly backed up. If employees are working on their desktop, schedule time to have them move data and work onto the private server or to a cloud backup service. Data can be lost in a variety of ways and making a conscious effort to back up work remotely is crucial.
Whether securing your enterprise systems and network or remote office spaces at home, these tips can significantly reduce the chance of having a security incident. If you need assistance in securing your networks or setting up remote working services for your team, contact us today.
