Since the onset of the Covid-pandemic, employees in organizations across the globe have started working from home. Staying indoors, which was once started as a defense mechanism for protection, soon became a part of their lifestyle. Whether collaborating with teams or dealing with clients remotely, the remote working environment has been implemented on almost every front.
However, serious data security concerns lie behind the brighter side of remote work advantages. With millions of people working remotely, the threat landscape has grown in its reach. As per a reliable survey, 25% of respondents have witnessed more spam or fraudulent emails, while 14% are highly concerned about cyber security as they work from home.
Wondering what you should do with the growing risk factor? Here’s a checklist you can follow:
- Update security measures deployed on remote systems
- Benefit from document encryption
- Keep sensitive information saved at multiple locations
- Backup your business-critical data
- Set strong passwords
Let’s talk about each of these aspects in more detail.
- Update security measures deployed on remote systems
Whether your workforce is working on the office premise or from home, installing and updating security measures in the systems allotted to them is essential. For example, a firewall can be considered one of the best ways to protect remote devices or networks from unauthorized intrusion. It also keeps your data safe and secure by making it difficult for the cyber-attacker to access it.
Similarly, antiviruses for complete system protection prevent malware from affecting computer systems. In addition, it prevents suspicious files from reaching your device and causing any damage.
Irrespective of the security measures deployed, you need to update them regularly.
- Benefit from document encryption
One of the fundamental ways to ensure data security is to ensure the team members’ safe sharing of business-related data. Maintaining security becomes a challenge since you never know which remote worker could use sensitive data for unauthorized access. This is where document encryption can benefit your business.
Through encryption, you can convert sensitive data files into a code that only an authorized individual can decrypt. Therefore, even if some hacker gets access to your data, he will only see the encrypted text, thus preventing any data loss. You are also advised to store the encryption keys in a FIPS 140-2 validated solution exclusive from the data.
- Keep sensitive information saved at multiple locations.
Data loss often results from frequent hardware or software failures. Depending on the extent of the damage caused, it might become impossible to recover business data. Such instances can be prevented by keeping multiple copies of highly-sensitive data stored safely on different devices. Even if you face trouble accessing any of these devices due to technical glitches, you can benefit from the copy saved on another device.
If you choose this way to protect data while continuing to benefit from a remote working environment, make sure you hire well-trained professionals to manage such devices.
- Set strong passwords
One essential parameter that ensures data security is strong password selection. If your employees use the devices provided by the organization, they must be protected by a strong and not-easy-to-crack password. A secure password is the one that:
- It is not used for more than one device or account
- It contains a mix of numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and special characters
- It is easy to remember so that you do not face hassles in everyday use
You can also set up a policy for employees to change the password every few months and pair the password update process with two-factor authentication.
- Backup your business-critical data on third-party servers
Local software installation or data storage often leads to unauthorized access and causes significant data breaches. One of the best ways to protect your data is to host business applications and data on third-party cloud servers.
Cloud hosting solutions can also be a game-changer for your business if you have faced troubles resulting from data loss or ransomware attacks. This is because multiple security measures protect applications hosted on dedicated servers. Besides this, you will also benefit from accessing the data and software 24×7 based on the SLA-backed server uptime guarantee.
Unlike accessing local-hosted applications, it is the responsibility of the chosen cloud service provider to maintain the utmost security for your data. The best part is – that you can get all this by selecting a budget-friendly hosting plan.
The bottom line
The remote working environment can be a boon for your organization with the right policies implemented at work. However, you should keep in mind that the safety of your business data forms the foundations of your overall organization. Make sure you follow this checklist to stay protected against cyberattacks.
