REMOTE WORK | 5 MIN READ
Cyber security is almost more important in a remote office, seeing as business operations and communication can quickly become fractured and less efficient when employees aren't all physically in the same location. As a Managed Service Provider, we assist clients in setting up and maintaining the security of their remote offices. Keep reading to learn our recommended five remote work cyber security solutions that will help your business protect sensitive data.
[Quick Summary] Here our are top 5 recommended remote work security solutions:
-
Virtual Private Network [VPN]
-
Remote Conferencing Platform
-
Encrypted File-Sharing
-
Managed IT Services
-
Internal Phishing Tests
For more information on each item as well as recommended brands that we use and have personally vetted, keep reading!
Virtual Private Network [VPN]
A Virtual Private Network [VPN] is the backbone of a remote office security solution. It can be used in conjunction with an existing WiFi network to ensure that data is encrypted when it's sent to and from your office. VPN's also anonymize an employee's web traffic when they're working remote and using a less secure WiFi signal, for instance at Starbucks or in their house.
VPN's authenticate your information with your network's firewall before allowing it through, which ensures that information is encrypted and your network is secure when all employees are sending information, logging into programs, and communicating with each other.
Without a VPN, your data isn't encrypted when it's sent around, which means that hackers could access information that employees are sending to each other over public WiFi, for instance.
Any business that's planning on transitioning to a remote office or has any employees that ever work remotely should set everyone up with a VPN. VPN's ensure that data is secure even when employees are working on public or home WiFi.
RECOMMENDED BRAND: Sophos
We recommend Sophos's VPN for its simple installation, strong encryption and secure authentication measures, and broad support across a variety of operating systems.
Remote Conferencing Platform
Remote conferencing is becoming so popular that companies in almost every sector, from the government to healthcare and more, are using it to conduct business. Many of these companies are subject to data regulations like HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, and more.
Companies who share sensitive information over remote conferencing platforms could potentially be breaking these data regulations if an unwelcome guest accessed a private meeting and heard confidential information, whether that's patient data or official government business.
Whether or not your business must adhere to data privacy regulations, you still need a secure remote conferencing platform to keep sensitive information away from malicious actors.
When evaluating a remote conferencing solution for the strength of its security measures, ask yourself the following questions to see if a provider is doing their due diligence to keep your company's data safe:
- Will your data be sold?
- What barriers to conference entry are there?
- What conference host controls are available?
- How can you use the platform to stay compliant with data regulations?
- Are they FEDRamp certified?
RECOMMENDED BRAND: AnyMeeting
We recommend AnyMeeting for its security, affordable prices, integration with a variety of third party platforms, compliance with data regulations like HIPAA, and its ability to let one host webinars with up to 1,000 attendees.
RELATED: Remote Conferencing Security: Tips and How to Find the Right Provider
Need help outfitting your remote office?
Consider us! Our remote office bundles include some of the most secure hardware on the market, all packaged at an affordable monthly price with market-leading customer service. Click here to learn more.
Encrypted File-Sharing
When your business is remote, employees cannot simply share files and sensitive information by walking to someone's desk to give them a hard copy or verbally relay the information. This means that many files are shared over email.
However, what about when a file is too large to send over email? This is when many will turn to insecure third-party file-sharing platforms.
Finding a secure large file-sharing platform better secures company data while streamlining communication between remote employees. Setting up secure file-sharing platforms ensure that data is encrypted when files are sent within and outside of your network.
When searching for a file-sharing platform, do thorough research to see what security measures it has in place, for instance, which encryption measures are used. Read reviews and see if the company has been in the news for data breaches.
RECOMMENDED BRAND: Mimecast
Mimecast Large File Send, part of Mimecast's email security services, is a robust software that lets employees send large files securely. The software boasts numerous security measures such as message encryption, optional access keys, custom expiration dates, and data leak prevention controls.
Managed IT Services
While you can implement some of the remote work security solutions on this list, without proper IT support, you might set them up incorrectly.
Managed IT services are just what they sound like− IT services managed by a third-party company. They implement layers of security software and hardware to monitor and protect your network from cyber threats while optimizing business processes, backing up data, and minimizing network downtime.
When it comes to remote work security, a managed service provider can properly install all the solutions on this list and inspect your network to ensure that every facet of its infrastructure is set up correctly for a remote environment.
Managed IT staff can help you transition to and from a remote environment, and when you are remote, they constantly monitor your network to detect and remove cyber threats such as ransomware.
RECOMMENDED BRAND: Standard Office Systems
As a metro-Atlanta based Managed Service Provider, we offer comprehensive proactive cyber security solutions that extend past simply securing remote offices to ensure that productivity is maximized by minimizing network downtime and more.
We offer the following cyber security services and more:
- Backup Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning
- Employee Cyber Security Education
- Content Filtering
- Spam Control
- Email Archiving and Continuity
- Technology Consultations
- 24/7 Customer Support
RELATED: 4 Reasons to Rethink In-House IT
Internal Phishing Tests
Phishing poses one of the biggest threats to corporate data security , especially when an office is working remotely.
Phishing is a type of cyber attack that involves attempts to gain access to a victim's personal accounts or capture their sensitive data by tricking them into revealing passwords or personal information. The most common form of phishing takes place over email.
When companies are working remotely, communication can tend to rely more heavily on email and cyber security education can falter, both of which can make employees more likely to fall for phishing emails, especially those which are designed to mimic emails from coworkers.
Thankfully, companies can use phishing tests to determine what type of phishing schemes their employees are most likely to fall for as well as which employees most frequently fall for phishing schemes.
Phishing tests let a company send a customized fake phishing email to all employees. Once the email is sent, the managers can see who opens the email or clicks links embedded within it. Any employee who clicks on a link in the phishing test email is immediately sent to a cyber security educational course.
While phishing tests are great at educating employees with minimal cyber security education, they also help foster a culture of personal accountability within your organization.
RECOMMENDED BRAND: Sophos
Sophos' Phish Threat software allows businesses to conduct their own phishing tests and review the data to drive future security decision-making.
Automatically enroll those who fall for the test in educational training sessions, and view campaign results to see data such as the number of users caught, organizational trends, and more. An optional email add-on streamlines the process by which employees accurately and efficiently report messages.
As remote work becomes more of a mainstay, companies will need to further prioritize a remote environment that is not only functional and productive but secure.
We hope that the solutions laid out in this article put your organization on the path towards a secure remote environment.
For more cyber security content, follow our blog!
