We all know about the steady rise in employees working remotely. Technology has bridged the gap between home and office allowing 43 percent of employed Americans to work from home. To work remotely is often a unique benefit for employees who need more flexibility in their schedule. More and more businesses are adding this benefit to their new hire packages.
But, this leaves companies with the problem of securing sensitive data like passwords, bank accounts, credit card numbers, and more. As the computing infrastructure becomes more diffused and decentralized, the data becomes less secure. Your business becomes vulnerable to viruses, malware attacks, phishing scams, and who knows what else!
This is the same for both laptops and company mobile devices like cell phones. When company data is stolen, legal, financial, and reputational problems can hit your business like a ton of bricks.
Below are 3 ways you can protect your company’s data while working remotely.
Device protection for laptops and mobile phones
In most cases, malware that steals data infects your device via the web and/or through email phishing scams. The best way to protect against these attacks is to practice good computer hygiene. Unfortunately, you will never be able to force every person in a company to buy into such practices, which is why web filtering is so important for your business.
Web filtering is the first line of defense against web-based attacks. Malicious or hacked websites are a primary vector for initiating attacks by triggering downloads of malware, spyware, or risky content. Protect your organization by blocking access to malicious, hacked, or inappropriate websites with web filtering from a trusted network security provider.
Use cloud applications
Cloud services like G Suite for Business allow remote users to handle daily business tasks while working from practically any location. Protected by G Suite’s built-in security features, users can work on documents, presentations, email, calendars, and file-sharing tools while still keeping your data safe and secure.
For teams of 10 or more people, we strongly recommend having your IT team handle your migration to the cloud. Making sure your data transfers securely and completely can save you costs and headaches down the road.
Please remember that G Suite will not prevent company employees from clicking on malicious, hacked, or inappropriate websites. Only web filtering can prevent the remote user from accessing cyber threats.
Create a secure connection to your company network
Your remote users need a secure access to your network. The most cost-effective way to give internet access to your remote workers while keeping your network secure is VPN software. Businesses use Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to enable authorized users to access network resources when they’re not physically on the same LAN (local area network), or as a method for securing and encrypting their communications when they’re using an untrusted public network. VPNs will help keep your data secure while preventing cyber attacks, because your remote users are working on a secure network, rather than a coffee shop’s wifi. By the way, coffee shops and home wifi networks may have no security whatsoever, making for an easy cyber attack target.
The internet brings both great opportunity and risk. When you connect to the internet, you invite every hacker, virus, and spammer to infiltrate your business, but you also gain access to a world of opportunity. The best and worst of what the world has to offer is just a click away. The blessing and risks of the internet multiply with every connected employee.
TechKnowledgey’s Network Security as a Service allows your business to experience the benefits of connected growth while protecting you, your team, and your data from the threats of being online.