Tips To Protect Your Remote Team from Cyber Threats

Recent studies have shown that remote work has become more popular than it was a decade ago. It is estimated that more than 42% of Americans have spent some time working remotely away from the traditional office setting. The COVID-19 pandemic situation has forced many businesses to join the bandwagon. If you are one of those businesses, then one question you ought to ask yourself is if you are really ready for a remote workplace.

Yes, setting your business for a remote workplace is more than just having employees working from home. You need to keep an eye on things like business cybersecurity if the model is to work. Remember, you are now even more vulnerable to cybercrime than ever. So, you have to work harder to protect your business. Let us give you a quick guide to help secure your remote team from cyber threats.

Use proper collaboration tools

For starters, you need to invest in collaboration tools that you will use as a team. Working remotely also means that you and your remote team will get to share critical company files. For example, your team will need to transfer documents such as checks, e-slips, and employee data, among other sensitive files.

However, there is the risk of access to the data by hackers, which may lead to a data breach. As such, you need to find solutions that will ensure secure file sharing within the organization. You will need many other tools, but you ought to ensure that they all give your team the right security.

Keep an eye on password security

This is one of the simplest yet very effective ways of shunning away hackers from your business. Your team members should always use secure passwords and change them often to avoid attacks. This might be tedious, but it will help protect them from attacks.

Tip:

• Encourage your team to follow password security best practices as they collaborate
• Add a layer of authentication like using Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to improve security

Train your team on cybercrime

Usually, hackers will send malicious files with the aim of duping employees. A simple click on the files or links, and the hackers can gain access to your systems. The best solution around this is to enlighten your team about attack vectors used by hackers. For example, they should be able to spot and open only files sent to them from trusted sources. They should be able to filter out content and identify malice. Well-trained employees will help protect your business, especially in a remote workplace.

Business owners may sometimes mistakenly accused some of their employees of cybercrime. A close colleague was also involved in a cybercrime case recently and used these professionals to get the help that he needed. He won the case, so if you face such a cybercrime charge then they are the lawyers to contact.

Create proper policies

It is also quite critical to establish and communicate guidelines on how to carry on with your company’s work while operating remotely. Ensure that there is a protocol to be followed to keep your data secure. For example, ask your workers to avoid using devices like mobile phones for any work-related tasks. They should only use devices and tools allowed in the workplace. It is easier to manage your security if you have policies and rules guiding employees, rather than leaving an open collaboration paradigm.

Update software regularly

According to the IT consulting Orlando, you should update your software regularly on the devices used by your remote team. Software manufacturers will often avail software updates as a way of patching security vulnerabilities that may be found in previous versions. This is why it is critical to ensure that you shift to the most recent software versions. It will help you avoid breaches that take advantage of software design flaws.

Set up firewalls to protect your business

Firewalls are barriers between your organization’s network and the internet. The primary function is to prevent threats from entering your system that could lead to costly breaches. You need to secure your network perimeter by installing a firewall that will keep off any sort of suspicious traffic. There are basically two types of firewalls, that is, hardware and software. Hardware firewalls are installed physically to protect your network, but you can also use tools that can block traffic from certain locations, apps, ports, and much more. 

In a nutshell

In a nutshell, remote workplaces are the way to go owing to the myriad of benefits you will reap as a business. But, you should set up your business properly if you are to make the model a success. More importantly, you ought to secure your business as you collaborate in a distributed fashion. We hope our tips will help you build a successful workplace!