Remote Work Security is vital right now, it’s nearly Christmas so there are lots of cyber attacks. It’s important to protect yourself online at home, in addition to the office.
While working remotely is widely accepted these days, there are times when the extreme British weather gives us no choice but to work from home (or wherever we might be stuck at the time!).
It’s imperative that, no matter how big or small your organisation might be, a business continuity plan is firmly in place to ensure there is no unnecessary downtime or loss of productivity on these unexpected occasions.
Data security is by far the most important factor of a continuity plan, and it is our professional recommendation at CHS Networks that staff only use secure business equipment to work from home. However, in these unexpected or extreme circumstances, employees may need to work off of a personal device and the necessary steps should be taken to ensure effective security while doing so.
As a minimum, you should ensure that:
On every machine that you use, including your laptop and desktop computers, as well as any other devices that you might connect to the internet such as smartphones, smart TVs and tablets. Make sure this software is up-to-date and optimised. Antivirus suites take the hard work off your hands by offering automatic remote work security against various threats, including zero-day attacks, malware, spyware, viruses, trojans and phishing email scams.
And fully trained on acceptable workplace browsing and behaviour, and have an IT security policy that they have read and understood when accessing work-related data.
Ensure that a secure VPN to the office is available if required for server or PC access. VPNs encrypt the data you send and receive.
By changing the router’s password from the default to something unique, you can secure your home router. Cybercriminals look to exploit default passwords on home routers because of not many people bother to change it, leaving their home network vulnerable.
A second user profile should ideally be set up on the device when using it for work purposes – this protects both the user as well as the business from compromising personal and business data. While it may seem cumbersome to constantly switch between devices to simply pay a bill or online shop, do your best to keep your work computer and home computer separate.
Use a secure password manager to ensure employees can log on to business software and applications from home. A password manager also helps users create more complex and secure passwords for added security. They encrypt all your information and keep it safe from hackers, malware, and unauthorized access.
Cloud computing has made it possible for businesses to store and process their data in a remote server, helping them to become more efficient, save on costs, increase productivity, reduce downtime and enhance security.
If you don’t already have a business continuity plan in place, get in touch and we can help create one specifically for you and your business.
