Remote work has become a much more common option for businesses in a wide variety of industries. More and more companies are allowing their employees to spend some of their days (or even all of them) working from home, or anywhere with an internet connection.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many more companies engaging in remote work out of necessity, and some have had a harder time than others of making this quick adjustment without doing too much to interrupt their operations. Other businesses have come face to face with the range of common cyber security problems in Phoenix, AZ that can stymie remote workers. Whether you intend to allow employees to regularly work from home even after this time of social distancing is past us or you simply need some temporary assistance to manage your remote employees during the pandemic, here are some things you should know:
- Develop strategies for remotely accessing sensitive content: When you’re working away from the office, it can be difficult to know how to handle sensitive content, such as personal information or content that includes trade secrets. It’s understandable to have some concerns about relying on the cloud, but a remote workforce means relying on connective solutions like cloud technology offered through Microsoft’s OneDrive, Google’s Drive services, Dropbox or various other types of cloud services. You can also develop an intranet for your company through services like Microsoft SharePoint, where you can store more sensitive content and add layers of encryption.
- Ensuring security on devices: If you have employees working remotely with company devices, it can be a little harder to make sure they’re staying on top of important security updates. There are automation tools that allow for automatic updates to operating systems and important programs used on a regular basis, like Microsoft Word or Outlook. This will allow you to avoid potential data breaches as a result of failure to properly update devices and software.
- Find smart ways to collaborate: It’s crucial to still offer ways for your team to collaborate even when they’re all working in remote locations. Having an easy chat platform is a great way of doing this. One popular option is Slack, which is great for managing different types of discussions while also allowing for easy group or individual chats with other people. There are also great conference calling platforms, such as Skype, Zoom or the business edition of Google Hangouts that you can use to stay up to date with each other and get in some important face time.
- Protect against data breaches: We already covered device security, but it’s important to take additional measures to ensure the security of important company information. It’s highly recommended that you restrict access to unapproved platforms, and create clear lists of approved platforms and vendors that your employees can reference. You should also routinely conduct data audits, and implement network monitoring so you can be aware of unknown devices and any potential vulnerabilities.
For more information and advice about managing a remote workforce and some of the common cyber security problems in Phoenix, AZ that are likely to arise in such circumstances, contact GeekForce.biz to learn more about our IT support services.