Remote work is on the rise, especially with the spread of COVID-19. In fact, according to a global survey, 88% of business organizations made remote work either mandatory or encouraged it. With remote work comes the security challenge because there aren’t as many safeguards in place with employees in their home offices. Working in the office means employees have an added layer of security they don’t have at home. So, today we have a few solutions to enhance the security of your workforce and eliminate any risk while people are working remotely:

• Avoid any public Wi-Fi.

Public Wi-Fi inherently brings in huge security risk, and your staff should avoid it. The problem with public Wi-Fi is that other people have access to that network without any firewalls between you and them. So, you must encrypt your traffic. If you provide cell service to your employees, you may consider allowing them to use the hotspot feature on their device, which reduces the risk of getting hacked by someone on the public Wi-Fi network. Best of all, make sure your employees all have access to a private Wi-Fi network they can use during their workday.

• Restrict work activities on work computers.

Your organization likely has an IT team that regularly installs security updates, secures Wi-Fi, encrypts drives, and has endpoint protection. When you use your work computer, you are probably more cautious about websites you visit, links you click, and files you download. However, after you’ve shut down your work computer for the day, it can be tempting to go onto your own personal computer if you need to check work email. To stay safest, restrict any of this type of behavior. Keep work on your work computer.

• Educate your employees and develop work-from-home policies.

Scams are on the rise, particularly ones related to COVID-19. So, take the time to educate your employees on how to avoid fraud, phishing scams, and other hacks. Ensure everyone is aware of best practices, common risks, and how to identify a security risk. Also, develop clear work-from-home policies and enforce your policies with administrative and technical tools. 

A secure workforce has always been important, but now that more businesses are utilizing a remote workforce, you must be prepared for the risks. Proper technology and educating employees are a few of the basic ways that you can secure your business. If you need help developing a more secure remote workforce, contact us at Craftech, and we can walk you through what we have to offer your business.