Remote work is more popular than ever. Whether it’s the result of a global health crisis or a company adapting with the times — remote work is here to stay. For employees, this is usually a boon. Remote work is an advantage for people with disabilities. People who can’t afford to move to big cities can still apply to the dream jobs they’re otherwise qualified to get. And flexible schedules often help improve productivity. All this helps make industries less ableist and more inclusive spaces.
However, there are some disadvantages companies are still figuring out. For businesses, remote workers add to vulnerabilities when it comes to security issues. Since it is easier to breach a personal device, hackers target remote workers more. So, better security policy enforcement is essential to continue to enjoy remote work. It will help save critical data and avoid potential attacks on sensitive data. It will also keep identity theft and other forms of cyber-attacks at bay. It’s easier than it seems to secure your data and ensure your remote team is not at risk of a cyber-attack. Read on to find out more.
Password Protection.
An easy way to avoid security issues is to ensure that all employees use strong passwords. It may seem too simple to be an efficient method. However, it can be a blind spot for most companies. Remember, a strong password is a practical, effective security solution. Unique passwords keep a personal device less vulnerable to cyber-attacks or identity theft. To make this easier for employees, you can offer a password manager.
Limited Access.
Your company is at a higher risk if the private device of every employee has access to all your sensitive data. To avoid this, limit the access according to what individual employees need. You can do this by hiring a security team to help sort through real-time data. If your employees work across the world, tighten security in your global network. Also, get an alert system for your data center, so you know of any suspicious activity immediately.
Cloud Security.
With new advancements in cloud computing, you can minimize the risk of cyber-attacks. To save time, gift your security team an all-in-one solution like a cloud security platform. An excellent cloud service has automated alert systems, threat detection, and intrusion detection. Do your research before you pick a cloud provider.
Ensure that you’re investing in avoiding a data breach by picking the right tools. Cloud security platforms check for indicators of attack (also called IOAs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs). It will also help detect workload. Some even give you real-time data updates and ensure a safer cloud environment.
Avoiding Vulnerabilities.
While most remote workers work from the comfort of their homes, some use public spaces. Ensure that your security policy focuses on the importance of private Wi-Fi connections. One of the most significant vulnerabilities for remote workers is public network connections. It leaves your company open to potential attacks and critical data loss. Also, make virtual private network use and multi-factor authentication a necessity. If all your employees use a secure connection, you can reduce the risk of a cyber attack like a data breach.
Comprehensive Policies.
Passwords, private networks, and a security team can help reduce the risk of a cyber attack. It’s also essential, however, to have comprehensive policies for your sensitive information. Employees may not mean to leak sensitive data, but they can only do so much. You can prevent malware and cyber-attacks by securing all the remote devices.
Set a security policy for everything from cloud applications to workload. Encrypt critical data and consider doing the same for communication. Even a phone can put your company at risk of a data breach. Ensure that employees use limited devices with secure access to sensitive data. Make sure your security team checks and approves each one. As far as possible, use a secure cloud environment for all communication.