Remote Cybersecurity

Do your work-from-home employees understand what they need to do (and not do) to keep your company’s data safe? When it comes to cybersecurity, remote work requires a new level of DIY which may not be necessary when employees are working in an office. We recommend you work with your IT department to develop protocols specific to the home office environment. Here are a handful of items you might want to include in your employee communications:

Secure home routers

Employees currently working from home might not give their routers a second thought when it comes to security, but they probably set them up long ago when they had no plans to work from home. Encourage them to change the factory-set password and username, if they haven’t already, and have your IT team recommend encryption settings and other router protections.

Use the VPN appropriately

The VPN allows remote employees to access the company network, creating an encrypted flow of data for an additional level of security. But too many people accessing files via the VPN at the same time could overwhelm the network. The IT team may prefer employees to disconnect when they’re not working, when they’re using their computers in a public place, or to otherwise stagger their use.

Beware of smart home devices

Using the Ring camera to see who’s at the door or telling Alexa to order more paper towels may not seem to have anything to do with work, but both have the potential to undermine the company’s cybersecurity. Get your IT group’s input on guidance to communicate to remote employees. For instance, most well-known brands will be more secure than no-name devices.

Take time for updates

If employees are busy working on a document, they may not want to stop what they’re doing for an update. It’s an easy task to put off, on the assumption that we’ll have more time later. Encourage remote employees not to prioritize productivity over security. Spending a few minutes letting a new update load is worth the downtime, as updates often include improved security benefits.

Make it easy to get help

When employees aren’t in the office, they may not know how to get in touch with the IT group for help. Rather than risk having remote employees try to fix issues on their own, let them know how easy it is for them to submit a service ticket or reach the help desk. If you can, provide at least two ways for them to get answers and assistance — preferably one online method and one by phone.