Well, here we are. Still remote over a year later. Who would have ever thought? What was once unfamiliar territory has become the, dare we say it, new normal. Not a fan of that term, but it is what it is. Many companies are planning on making this “new normal” their forever. Remote work has become not only a necessity but for some, it is a permanent solution. Or is it? The pros and cons to working at home are endless. The one thing we worry about is, you guessed it...security. How secure is your setup?
Working from home creates all new issues that do not exist in the controlled setting of the office. How can you stay safe and protected working from home?
1. Wifi
Once your employees leave the office, they are connecting to wifi from home, coffee shops, etc. This is when very serious data security issues arise. The levels of security will never be like in the office. This is one of the biggest issues of working from home. How do you prevent this? A combination of a couple things. 1. Train your employees. If they know what risks they are putting the company through, they will know how to avoid them. 2. Hire an IT Support Specialist (ahem, like us) to keep control over remote tools and software.
2. Antivirus Software
This is a must. Antivirus will not only protect you from suspicious materials coming into your system, but it will also shield you from potential files and network traffic that could cause major harm to your company. Partnering with Acropolis will guarantee your system is safe with antivirus software. Check out our packages here.
3. VPN
What is a VPN? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Think about it this way, instead of just going from your computer to the internet, the VPN acts as a shield between the two. Fighting off anything that might harm you. Pretty awesome right? Trust us, you don’t want to go into the world of the big bad internet without a shield to protect you. Having said that, watch out for “Free VPN”. You get what you pay for and if you aren’t paying for it…you will with your personal information. These scams make it hard to find a trustworthy VPN service. If at all you are questioning this, give us a call and we can help you out.
4. Lock Your Screen
Whenever you get up from your desk, make sure to lock your computer. Children and other family members having access to your company’s sensitive material is not only an HR issue, but could cause serious irreversible damage as well.
5. Strong Passwords
First off, we all know the stronger the password the better. Try not to use things like children names, birthdays, pets, etc. A password generator is a great way to create unique passwords. Some very safe password software can generate and store them for you. All in one place and of course, two factor authentication is required to access this software. A safe program like this that we recommend is called IT Glue.
6. Two Factor Authentication
What is Two Factor Authentication? TFA works by adding an extra layer of security to your online accounts. Simply requiring that a text message or an email with a code be entered before logging in is possible. Can Two Factor be hacked? Very rarely. This is why we highly recommend it for all company log ins. If you do not have it. Get it.
- Written by Maria Berra
Want to know more about how we can help keep your company safe while remote and the benefits of IT managed services? Fill out the form below or give us a call - 314.890.2208