IT Security for Remote Workers

Working from home has been a growing trend in the business world. Its popularity can be attributed to the many business and employee benefits it provides, including greater applicant reach, cost savings, and better work/life balance. With the emergence of COVID-19, telecommuting has become more commonplace than ever. As organizations across the country embrace this new way to work, it’s never been more important to think about remote work security risks.

IT Security for Remote Workers

One of the main reasons why many businesses have hesitated to allow their employees to work from home is because there are certain security issues with working remotely. Securing remote work environments presents a unique challenge for many IT departments. However, it’s far from impossible to protect your virtual staff from cyber threats. By creating a work from home policy and following best practices, your team can remain safe and secure.

Here are a few examples of cyber security work from home best practices your remote workers should be observing.

Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi

It may be tempting to go to your local coffee shop and set up your workstation using the available public Wi-Fi, but this is not advisable. Public networks are accessible to everyone, meaning you could be exposing the sensitive information to cyber threats. If you feel the need to get away from your home office, try working on a private hotspot from a personal device only you have access to.

Install a VPN

Installing a virtual private network (VPN) is another step you should take toward staying secure in public. A VPN is a private network that encrypts your connection, allowing you to send and receive data privately and anonymously. With a VPN, it’s a lot harder for hackers to gain access to sensitive data.

Use Secure Passwords

Logging into accounts is something most employees have to do during the workday. This can range from a single account to multiple accounts. The more accounts an employee has, the more likely they are to use passwords that are simple or easy to remember. However, having simple or easy to remember passwords defeats the purpose of having a password because they are easily hackable.

Passwords should be complex and hard to guess. It’s best to use multiple characters, symbols, and numbers. If you’re afraid of forgetting all of your passwords, you could invest in a password manager so you only need to remember one password.

Security Audit

Having an IT partner like PCR Business Systems perform a security audit is one of the best ways to ensure your remote staff is secure. A security audit is a systemic evaluation of your cyber security measures. This test gives you the information you need to see what your business’ cyber security lacks, allowing you to make adjustments as needed.

Keep Your Remote Workforce Protected With PCR

PCR Business Systems is an industry-leading managed service provider that specializes in network security. If you’re interested in enhancing your security posture, our team can work with yours to identify and fix vulnerabilities in your network.