COVID-19’s impact on the workplace speeds up the remote workplace trend. Although various industries were already adapting this work-from-home setup prior to the pandemic, it wasn’t until the past few months that it’s now necessary for all businesses. Unfortunately, adapting to remote work setups isn’t free from security concerns.
Preparing your business for remote work
Remote work is a versatile working arrangement that offers flexibility for employers and employees’ office hours. However, this comes at the risk of compromising a few valuable facets of being part of the workforce. Trouble with maintaining motivation, upholding deadlines, and using collaborative spaces are just some of the many learning curves of remote work that company staff needs to overcome. Beyond these issues, the threat to cybersecurity is one of the most vital obstacles that you need to prepare for.
If you’re planning to adapt your business to a remote work setup, here are three security measures you need to implement:
1. Increase device security protocols
Having an IT team for your business makes it easier to keep track of changes to your business documents. However, this is only a secure network for onsite local servers. There’s a high-security risk of losing valuable data if you’re diverting your interactions with your employees through the web. Because of this, you need to use secure networks to avoid malicious individuals from stealing and corrupting your files.
Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a viable way to increase your individual employee’s security. However, this isn’t a long-term sustainable practice. It’s better to develop security infrastructures through Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions. Your IT can use it to reach your users’ devices to implement multi-factor authentications, security software patches, and update malware detectors.
2. Use secure file sharing and storage platforms
Using a cloud-based server is a common practice for many people, both for business and personal use. The easiest option is to use Google Drive as a simple way to limit access to shared files. However, even Google doesn’t have a fool-proof network.
Since you don’t necessarily control the network, you have limited security options. There are plenty of other file-sharing platforms that have an increased level of cybersecurity protocols. For example, some platforms let you put user-defined expiring links to limit file access. Find a service that works best with your business’s needs and ensure that it has the credibility to keep your corporate files and customer data safe on the web.
3. Increase your authorisation steps
Since your employees are working in remote locations, they can use different devices to log in to your digital workplaces. This becomes a security risk for employees who have access to your files if they lose their phone or tablet while working outdoors.
Business owners often make the mistake of relying too much on password protection only. If you want to reinforce your data, you should employ multiple authorisation steps to verify the user’s identity. Through this method, you can prevent hackers from spoofing your employee’s username and password to access your files.
Since healthcare professionals are still preventing people from gathering in physical spaces, many companies are shifting to work-from-home setups to maintain operations through digital networks. The best way to adapt to these modern workplaces is to improve your communication channels and integrate stronger security for your interactions across the digital space.
FraudWatch International is the leading cyber intelligence company that helps businesses protect their digital data from brand piracy, phishing, and other digital threats. Contact us today to learn more about how we can protect your company’s adaptation to the digital space.