Working remotely can be a great way to improve productivity and flexibility in your work life, but it also comes with its own set of security risks. If you're not careful, your data and devices can be vulnerable to attack when you're working from home.
In this article, we will discuss five ways to keep your remote work infrastructure secure. Follow these tips and you'll be able to rest assured that your data is safe no matter where you are!
1. Put in place a cybersecurity policy for remote employees
Create a policy that establishes and explains the restrictions and constraints of working from home or from a different location. This policy will instruct workers on how to use their devices, how to connect to your network, and what types of information they are permitted to transmit and receive over your network. It is possible that your remote employees' policies forbid them from connecting to a public Wi-Fi network since doing so exposes confidential corporate information to potential cyber threats.
Clear standards also reduce the likelihood of disagreements over what may and cannot be done when working remotely. Can workers bring their own gadgets to work with them? Should material be preserved only in the cloud, or may it also be stored on local hard drives or other storage devices? What happens if you have no option but to connect to a public Wi-Fi network? A comprehensive policy should provide answers to all these problems.
2. Make use of multifactor authentication (MFA)
When your workforce's ability to be productive is dependent on the internet, it is essential to strengthening your cybersecurity. To protect your company's data, you must ensure that internet communication channels such as email and chat are secure and that anybody attempting to access corporate files is who they claim to be. MFA may be of assistance in this situation.
MFA technology offers an additional degree of protection by verifying the identity of the user who is attempting to obtain access to programs and files twice or three times. Beyond passwords, MFA-enabled applications may also request fingerprint identification, or a one-time password (OTP) transmitted to a connected device as additional means of determining the identity of a user. If a cybercriminal gains access to a user's login credentials, they will not be able to access your system because they will not be able to provide the additional authentication requirements required.
3. Select a dependable virtual private network (VPN)
Having a dependable virtual private network (VPN) solution is essential for keeping your distant infrastructure secure. A VPN conceals a user's location by connecting their device digitally to a distant server. Instead of connecting to multiple websites from their device, it will look as if the user is connecting to different webpages from the stated network. If your remote employees used a VPN, it would appear as if their internet activities were coming from your office's server — as if they were physically present in the office. Moreover, all data processed by programs, as well as all data sent, will be protected using encryption.
4. Implement solutions for mobile device management (MDM)
If you have remote workers who use mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones, it's critical that you can track down and delete the contents of these devices if something unfortunate happens. If your devices are lost or stolen, MDM solutions can assist you in protecting them by encrypting them, locking or erasing their data, and limiting access to applications and device functionalities, among other things. Even if your technology falls into the wrong hands, unauthorized users will not be able to access any of your company's sensitive information.
5. Provide your personnel with training
The most difficult task in maintaining the security of your network is in the hands of your employees. They rely on your remote working infrastructure daily, and one small mistake, such as clicking on a malicious link, might result in a data breach for your organization. Your remote workforce should be aware of the dangers of working away from the office and should adhere to cybersecurity protocols.
Aside from establishing a clear policy, it is important to constantly remind your employees of the dos and don'ts of cybersecurity. Regularly check in with your remote employees to ensure that they are installing software patches or updates. You can also set up daily automated emails that remind employees to log out of work apps before turning off their devices.
Cybersecurity is critical for every company that utilises a remote workforce, regardless of its size. A complete Florida IT company like ours at StealthTech will implement solutions to safeguard every area of your remote working infrastructure from cyberthreats.
Maintain the security of your company and contact us today!
