In light of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe, more companies are starting to realize the importance of having a plan in place for remote work. The fact is that office employees need the freedom to be able to work from home in a time of crisis – and it benefits the company, too. When employees can work from their homes, it allows them to continue to be productive and preserves cashflow. However, it’s also important to consider cybersecurity for remote employees.
Set Up a Virtual Private Network
One of the first things you want to do when you’re creating a remote work plan is to invest in a virtual private network (VPN). Setting up a VPN isn’t expensive and is usually simple. Just consult with your in-house IT team or the IT company that you work with to figure out the best service for your organization.
The VPN acts as a buffer between the WiFi that your employees are hooked up to and the device that they’re using, helping improve cybersecurity for remote employees. They simply sign into the network anytime they need to conduct company business over the internet.
Provide Remote Employees with Devices
There is an inherent risk with employees using their own computers, tablets, or mobile devices. When you require your employees to do any kind of remote work, you want to make sure you also give them the tools to do it. Not only does it ensure that they have everything they need to get the job done, it also gives you some peace of mind knowing that the devices people are working on have the best security measures in place.
Moreover, if you’re using cloud computing, you can also push out updates automatically to all devices. Your employees won’t need to bring their devices back to the office unless there’s an issue with the hardware.
Establish Policies and Best Practices
If you have a company handbook or other document with written policies, this is where you should put any guidelines concerning cybersecurity for remote employees. Be clear on what your employees can and cannot do on company machines. Your IT company will give you a list of safe practices to help you mitigate risk.
Additionally, you should create a training with your IT company that is specialized for your employees. They’ll work closely with you to develop a training course that either you can deliver or have them deliver for you. A course like this will get your team up to date on the most prevalent cyber security threats, which prevents data breaches and sets your team up for success.
Developing Cybersecurity for Remote Employees
Most people in the Baltimore area are already working remotely due to the COVID-19 threat. That doesn’t mean that you can’t start implementing policies and better cybersecurity for remote employees now, though.
Get in contact with J&P PC Solutions. We’ll walk you through the next steps towards onboarding cybersecurity best practices and help you figure out the best way to proceed. Just give us a call today at 443-588-5808.
