For the past few years remote working has been a small, but growing, requirement for businesses whose employees work in various physical locations. However, COVID-19 has forced companies to facilitate staff working from home wherever possible. In general, this means any employee who does their job on a computer can work from home.
Whilst it seems like an easy process to pick up a PC or laptop, take it home and plug it in, there are certain considerations that are commonly overlooked that could have dramatic repercussions on a business.
Some issues that should be considered:
- Home setups are often insecure utilising basic devices and are not as secure as a business level device opening the risk of data hacking
- Remote working means data is sent over the internet which can be intercepted between the home and office
- IT Support must remotely support devices
- Devices can be stolen from home
- Employees may use personal devices for work access
- Data can be lost if not backed up sufficiently
Fortunately, there are a range of free or low-cost best practices that can be put into place to minimise any risk to you as a business.
- Where possible only use work supplied devices
- Define and train staff on password practices such as using a different password on each application and using 2 factor authentications if available (there has been a 600% increase in password hacking since the start of the pandemic)
- Install antivirus software that protects against not just traditional viruses but also ransomware, malware and exploits
- Utilise automated cloud backup software on remote workers devices
- Access systems though VPN (virtual private network) if available
- Create a disaster recovery plan for both remote workers and office-based data
- Make sure loss of data and devices is covered for remote workers under your insurance