In the spring of 2020, employers across the nation started implementing work-from-home options.
By July 2020, a Gartner survey revealed that more than 80% of business leaders planned to continue a remote work option. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing businesses to keep employees on a remote basis, new cybersecurity challenges loomed large.
Companies had to increase their staff cybersecurity awareness trainings. However training alone isn’t enough to manage your cybersecurity needs.
Here are some additional helpful tips to keep your remote work environment secure:
- Establish a standard set of hardware applications and permissions.
- Dell Technologies mentions that having identical hardware and operating systems ensures quicker and efficient troubleshooting.
- Dell also expresses, “You have one operating system, one set of updates and one security solution.” Set a security standard by setting a hardware standard Having one system requires less answers a remote worker might not know. This allows IT support to focus on standard processes and not on items outside of their normal scope.
- There needs to be clear standards for employees using their own devices at home or in the office. Using an encrypted VPN on a company-issued laptop is one thing. Logging on an unsecured Wi-Fi network on a personal computer for business, is another.
- Configure an employee’s home network.
Al Alper, CEO of Absolute Logic, shares a few recommendations in Work-from-home IoT security including:
- Changing default usernames and passwords on home routers
- Setup a guest Wi-Fi network for all the IoT devices (IoT or “Internet of Things” are a network of physical objects embedded with technologies to connect and exchange data with other devices or systems). Think Amazon Echo and Roku.
- Added endpoint security software wherever possible and definitely on all Windows and Mac devices.
- Protect against malware.
Darren Guccione, CEO at Keeper, shared suggestions in Preventing malware with your staff including:
- When in public spaces like coffee shops, use personal hotspots with encryption enabled and avoid free Wi-Fi.
- Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when inactive. This will help to prevent any unsecure access to unknown networks.
- Use a Virtual Private Network connection. It provides end-to-end encryption and is vital for connecting remotely.
- Incorporate Two-Factor Authentication for all systems and applications for extra security.
Looking for more help in securing your remote work environments? Learn more about our cybersecurity services here.