Securing The Remote Workforce Is A Top Priority

The emergence of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has pushed remote work to the top of the priority list for most businesses.   

This new normal has also made remote work security a priority issue for most companies. Remote working has become much more fluid, thanks to the bevy of cloud-based work platforms and tools that exist for this very purpose. But this also means that company and customer data is spread across many personal and company-issued devices. This scenario poses a nightmare for enterprise security solutions.

We can be confident that beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work is going nowhere. So the question remains: how do companies run a secure remote workforce safely and seamlessly for employees and company documents? Business owners and security leaders can glean insight from the tips outlined in this list.

Tighten Up Network Security

While employees commuted to work, they could carry out their duties within the safety of a secured company network. However, remote work means that workers have to fall back on unsecured home networks. It is not ideal to have sensitive company information moving between servers and computers via an unsafe network. This unsecured transmission exposes the data and the employees to potential malicious attacks.

Companies should encourage their employees to make use of a reliable Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution. A VPN secures company information with end-to-end encryption. Thankfully, with the development of cloud technology, working with a VPN doesn't impede employees' ability to access and store information on the cloud. Technologies like cloud direct connect does allow this while bolstering security, performance, and reliability.

Integrate MFA & Authorization Controls

Ever heard of the saying, "Hope for the best, expect the worst?" This sentiment is exactly how to approach your authorization and authentication models. It should be a prime practice for every company to categorize their employees according to their privilege access. 

Companies should also enable multi-factor authentication and demand that their employees have strong passwords.

Authorization levels and access controls are extremely important for remote work security. You should ensure that at any time, each employee or team has access to only the tools and documents that they need to do their job, and only to the requisite degree. This sort of system means that you always know who has access to what, making it easier to prepare yourself for any possible breach.

Be Wary Of  Phishing Incidents

Verizon's 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report reveals that phishing attacks made up 32 percent of confirmed data breaches in 2019. And as cybercriminals become more targeted in their approach, remote workers are becoming more exposed to these attacks.

Usually, phishing attempts to try to get people to visit and interact with suspicious material and platforms. They do this by presenting themselves as an essential update, giveaway, promotion, etc. Often, many phishing attempts can be easily spotted because of their bad grammar and spelling problems. If your employees are properly trained on the IT best practices of modern cybersecurity, it puts them in a better position to spot these attempts and report them to your IT department immediately.

Backup All Systems & Documents

The tips above take a proactive approach to remote work security. Still, you should also have a crisis management system with enough contingencies in place. This is extremely important in the event that threat actors gain access to your company data and network systems.

Also, ensure that you correctly and regularly backup your critical systems and information. Not just on the cloud but also on multiple offline storage systems. It is vital that you have access to these even in the case of network compromise, data breach, or loss of company-issued and personal devices.

The fact is this: remote working is a non-negotiable part of workplace culture in the feature. Exactly how it is going to play out is still up in the air. However, it is clear that technology will continue to progress, and threats and threat actors will continue to up their game. This inevitable scenario makes it crucial for companies to start building a secure remote workforce today and for the future.

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Aaron Swain is a writing specialist who is currently working in the writing service reviews company Best Writers Online. He is passionate about marketing and SEO. He expands and improves his skills throughout the writing process to help and inspire people.

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