Remote and hybrid working practices have been commonplace since the COVID-19 pandemic came about, more than half a decade ago. This approach offers a number of practical advantages to both employees and organisations. Thus, it remains compelling. But in order to get the best from remote workers, a business will need to take steps to protect its data.
This can be done, in most cases, by setting out and clarifying the right procedures. Let’s consider a few of the more important of these.
Create a Clear Remote Work Security Policy
First, it’s important that remote workers understand the rules by which they’re expected to abide. This means that expectations of the employer should be crystal clear, and impossible to mistake. What these rules look like will vary from employer to employer. However, certain principles will be common. For example, passwords will need to be strong, and ideally stored using two-factor authentication and a password manager. Workers might also be forbidden from dealing with company data on devices that aren’t issued by the company.
Set the rules out in a document. This should be periodically revised, and issued to new recruits as part of an online onboarding process.
Secure Connections with a VPN
When employees are using public Wi-Fi, or even the Wi-Fi they have at home, they’re at risk of attack. Consumer-grade routers might lack the security features found in a real office.
This is where a VPN comes in. It prevents eavesdropping by encrypting data before it’s sent to a remote server. This ensures that sensitive business-related data can’t be leaked or intercepted. You might look for a business VPN, which will offer features largely absent from the consumer-level alternatives.
Limit Access to Essential Data
Since not every employee needs access to all of the data your company has control of, it makes little sense to allow broad access. Data should be exposed only when it’s needed. This can hugely reduce the risk that the organisation is exposed to. If one account is breached, then it’s unlikely that the attacker will gain access to the company’s entire database.
Access to data might also be limited through multi-factor authentication, as we’ve mentioned. Workers logging in might be required to submit a biometric marker, like a fingerprint.
Train Your People to Spot Threats
Without the right skills and expertise, no employee can be entirely resilient against online threats. Thus, the right training is an essential component of every remote worker’s induction. Everyone should be aware of the danger of phishing, for example. A few minutes of well-refined training might make the difference between a careless worker clicking on a malicious link, or thinking twice about it.
Source – https://hrnews.co.uk/how-to-protect-business-data-when-employees-work-remotely/