When COVID-19 forced many businesses to close or significantly adjust their operations early this year, a lot of companies sent their employees home with imperfect solutions for remote work, these were bandage-type solutions for what was believed to be a temporary situation. But as the pandemic has dragged on—and as it’s unlikely, we’ll be returning to normal until late next year—it’s essential for business owners to find more reliable, more permanent solutions to the ongoing work-from-home standard of operation. This article will give you tips on establishing a more secure, dependable telecommuting option for your employees with the help of remote IT support services in Orlando.
Company Devices Only
If you told workers to log in and work from home on their own devices, it’s essential to change this right away. Personal devices rarely have the same level of security as company devices. You want to ensure that your workers are only using devices that are protected from malware and require authentication to use. As many of your workers may be working from home for close to a year, you don’t want to continue making the information they access readily available to thieves and hackers.
Establish Clear Security Expectations
In the rush of sending people home, you likely didn’t have a company meeting about security expectations while working from home. Take the time now to have a Zoom meeting, send out a training video, or a company-wide announcement about how, when, and where your employees can access their work. For example, they should never log into your office’s network from public Wi-Fi and should never use their computer somewhere that someone else can see the screen. Set these boundaries now, have them commit to following them, and your business (and your clients) will be better protected.
Establish Secure Networks
Not only do employees working from home frequently use unsecured devices, but they’ll use unsecured networks too. Many assume that putting a password on their Wi-Fi network means it’s secure, but that’s not necessarily true. They should also enable network encryption, upgrade their routers’ firmware, and establish a guest network that provides Wi-Fi access without allowing remote access to their home’s devices. Make sure your employees do all of these things with their networks at home; not only will it help protect the information they access while they’re working from home, but it will make their personal information and home network safer from hackers as well.
Use Secure File-Sharing Software
When you’re working in the same office, it’s much easier to ensure that improved individuals only access files. Sharing files across networks in people’s homes makes this more difficult. It’s important to find specialized remote collaboration solutions that allow you to ensure data safety as it’s being shared. Two popular options are Citadel and Cryptobox.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication is a good idea even when working in the office; when sensitive information is accessed from multiple locations, it’s even more critical. You can utilize software like SafeNet Trusted Access, which allows cloud-based multi-factor authentication and can even provide a one-time password for access on mobile phones. Requiring multiple levels of authentication is a simple step to take to ensure data security.
If you’re struggling to adopt remote work solutions in your business, contact Millennium Technology Group. We’re a top IT support services company in Orlando, and we can help your business to thrive even during these difficult times.