Keeping Your Company Data Secure for Remote Work
The last couple of years has seen some big changes in the way that we work and communicate. Both technical advancements and the need for people to work from home has made for quick uptake of group work, online communication and collaboration software. Of course, it was always heading that way but COVID became something of an accelerator. It is being widely reported that the ways that we communicate in our personal and business lives, are forever changed.
With the added advantage of remote communication and shared files comes an added risk for the security of data and information. Managed correctly though, you can have your communication cake and eat it securely too (apologies for the bad pun 😉). We take a look at a few ways to ensure that your staff and data are safe for remote work.
General Security Principals
Hopefully by now, you have had the time to settle in to some processes and procedures that allow for your team to work uninterrupted from any location. General security is a must whether people are working remotely or on-site. Setting up those baseline configurations, processes and procedures around security are always critical to the running of an effective business.
Some businesses that have not correctly setup their IT infrastructure can be at risk of security breaches. When a single security issue can be enough to expose all of your client data, leak intellectual property or leave your system open to attacks and damage, it is of the utmost importance that you are protected.
It can be easy to assume that your system is secure as you have not experienced any problems (that you are aware of). Any business owner or manager is all too familiar with issues that occur with handover of tasks and changes in employees. Business moves quickly and as you company adapts, it is a given that some things will be missed or corners may have been cut. Businesses with a small number of staff who started with ad-hoc IT setups or which have experienced rapid growth may have holes in their security and not even know it.
One basic foundation is to ensure that all of your software is updated promptly to the latest version, especially updates with security patches. The latest software versions on all devices will ensure you are safe against current known threats. Having an automated system in place for security upgrades to automatically run at the correct time is important. People often begrudge having to update their passwords but scheduling changes of passwords regularly can save you some issues down the track. Just be sure to avoid bad passwords like password, computer and qwerty.
Cloud Solutions
The move to cloud computing brings a whole new world of collaboration and the ability for an improved workflow. Many companies have moved their on-site servers into the cloud by migrating their data, files and email into a service like Microsoft 365. By moving to the cloud, data is easily accessible and working from anywhere becomes a simpler concept once setup properly.
You need to ensure that you have a good Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) software, for protection against online threats such as viruses, which offers protection on all of your devices and compliments the protection offered by your cloud provider. For companies that still have the requirement for some on site files such as backup you can look to an integrated approach. Different regions also have data and privacy protection laws around where you are allowed to physically store client information. Microsoft allows for you to set specific server locations to meet this requirement.
With a cloud solution like Microsoft Office 365 your staff are able to work directly in a browser with options for desktop versions of software available too. You can set up a bespoke solution that ensures data security and protection.
Extra Protection
As a part of a complete data security approach there are plenty of solutions that will increase your protection. With people working from home or on portable devices it is wise to implement some rules around where files are stored and how they are accessed. If you have a workforce using some of their own devices, you want to ensure that you retain access to all of the work files. Extra processes such as 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) require staff to verify their details upon login through an extra app.
Rolling out a password manager across your company for sharing logins that are used by multiple staff will ensure passwords are up to date and secure. Platforms like LastPass, 1Password and Dashlane all offer an excellent product but there are also bespoke solutions available. Some even offer a browser plugin that allows for staff to login without revealing the actual password to them.
There are a range of extra steps that you can take to increase security, for more information take a look at our 3 part series on computer threats in the digital age, Viruses, Ransomware & Phishing, Oh My! or drop us a line.
If you would like to learn more about how protected your business is, get in touch with us for a free introductory security audit.
