16 Jul 4 remote-work security practices to secure your information

The world has been drastically altered due to Covid-19. One of the major changes has been the widespread transference into remote-working. People have left their offices, their habits, daily commutes, and now find themselves interfacing with colleagues via virtual environments. Although “the future of work” provides many benefits, it also poses an immense challenge for protecting companies from cybersecurity threats. 

These remote working environments have opened up new pathways for hackers. Adapting quickly and establishing cybersecurity policies will be imperative for the success of businesses if they look to maintain remote working employment. Companies should be focused on setting up policies that protect themselves from the potential threats their remote employees pose upon their organization and clients. 

Here are the top 4 best practices to secure your information. 

      1. Being vigilant in public places 

Companies make sure to secure their networks but when information is taken outside the walls of their protection, company security is not guaranteed. Employees should be educated on being careful when doing work from public places. For example, companies might make specific requests in their policy that employees do not use public Wi-Fi. Additionally, employees might be informed not to attend meetings when in public spaces as important information might be overheard. 

     2. Securing physical devices

Employees are faced with increased responsibility when their work is being done remotely. Leaving a work device in an unlocked car, or something as simple as leaving devices out open at home could lead to a security breach. It’s important for employees to learn the best practices for ensuring physical device security. For example, a company may remind all employees to be aware of their surroundings when working in public so that nobody can see their screen and not to ever leave their devices unattended when in a public environment. Additionally, make sure that employees keep their work devices to themselves and store their devices securely. 

     3. Keeping work and personal data separate 

When using work computer, precautions should be taken into consideration such as VPN, antivirus, encrypted drives, and endpoint protection. Using personal computer to access work files can pose a severe risk for employees and their company. By carelessly switching between personal and work devices, individuals open cracks for potential security breaches. Therefore, it’s essential to educate employees about best data handling practices. 

    4. Ensuring client confidentiality 

Along with security, client confidentiality must be addressed in future policy. Keeping information confidential is far simpler when work is being done from a protected workspace, but as employees are free to work from any environment they please, from coffee shops to beaches, to public libraries, client confidentiality becomes a pressing matter. For example, let’s imagine an employee is having a client call at a Starbucks. This would immediately pose a threat to the client’s security and it would be paramount that the employee does not accidentally share sensitive information. 

Bottom Line  

There are many remote working threats to take into consideration, and many more to emerge in the coming years. Rather than creating a static policy, companies should look to continuously adapt to the current cybersecurity threats and revise their remote-working policy. Employees should also be kept up to date on potential threats and how to best protect company data as well as their own. Educating employees broadly on cybersecurity and protecting their information could potentially aid in the protection of company information. It’s difficult to protect oneself from unknown threats but if those threats become known, precautions can be implemented. 

If you’re looking to secure your company from the imminent threats of remote working, contact Cyber Chasse immediately. We will provide state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions for your company’s needs. If you wish to find more cybersecurity-related information, follow us on social media.