What are the risks?
As coronavirus spreads around the world, businesses are urging their employees to work from home. While this proactive approach to contain the virus is welcome, many are overlooking the cybersecurity implications of a remote workforce.
Many businesses haven't developed or tested their work from home policies before. Therefore, many have never considered the impact this can have on the company network, as many employees may be using an unsecured home connection to access their work.
The more often sensitive data moves outside the traditional security perimeter of the office network -– to personal devices, endpoints or the cloud – the greater the security risk.
These risks are compounded by the ways in which employees’ access, share and save data, making it especially difficult for your IT support to see where data lives and how it moves.
So, with a rapid deployment of flexible working, how do you keep data safe? The answer used to be simple: lock it down. But with a distributed workforce, that is only partially possible.
Security Tips
To accommodate more flexible working patterns, here is our guide to help you and your employees get started.
Home working security
Most people will have never given a second thought to remotely logging in to a company network, let alone how secure the connection is. Security policies tend to make it more difficult for employees to do their job remotely, but if they are forced to, security concerns could be forgotten about in the process.
The first thing you should check is that the computer you are using remotely is using a virtual private network, VPN, connection. An office supplied laptop should by default use one, but it is worth checking. If your employees are using their home computer, it may be worth installing a VPN, one with good reviews.
This is a secure way of transporting private data across unknown networks even via a home router. Instead of worrying about the security of individual apps on the devices, a VPN connection can reduce multiple attacks such as viewing your passwords or knowing what your true IP address is.
Remote working on the move
If your employees can’t always work from home and must use public Wi-Fi, they should be wary of using it without a VPN. Better to try and hotspot a 4G connection from your phone. It’s usually quicker and more secure. Taking simple steps such as avoiding public Wi-Fi wherever possible can go a long way in mitigating the risk individuals are exposed to.
Best ways to improve internet security
1. Operating systems, USBs and antivirus
If employees are using their own personal computer, they need to be using the latest operating system. Windows 7 and later versions of Windows are no longer supported by Microsoft, so are vulnerable from a security perspective. Avoid the use of unencrypted USBs and make sure you have antivirus installed. It’s always a good idea to start with a scan for malware on the machine before it is used for work purposes.
2. Two-factor authentication
Sometimes called multi-factor authentication, is a simple and highly effective way of increasing the security of your online accounts and mitigating the risk to highly sensitive business logins which still require a username and password.
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3. Encryption
Encryption of private data and documents are useful steps in enhancing home working security. Encryption technology is increasingly becoming a required part of security legislation and certainly doesn’t hurt if you want to use it on your own computer.
4. Data back-up
You can do this manually onto an external HDD, or automatically using backup automation software to a NAS drive or server. This is also the best way to counter ransomware.
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5. Passwords
Use unique passwords – there are many reputable password managers that can create and store complex, unique passwords for you.
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ESET’s special Home Working Bundle
Get Endpoint Security (Windows or macOS) and Secure Authentication together and receive 10% off each product.
ESET also offer several solutions for businesses
ESET provides a wide range of antivirus protection products to help improve online safety, both in the office and at home. For small businesses, we offer easily manageable cloud-based IT solutions that incorporate ransomware protection. These services are also available to mid-size businesses with flexible licensing options and management from a single web console.
For more information, please contact us on 01202 405 405
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