The unexpected shift of millions of workers from on-site work to remote workspaces has challenged organizations like never before. Now, organizations not only have to worry about motivation and performance, but also have to maintain the highest level of cybersecurity to avoid breaches.
While the internet and cloud services providers have made it possible to transition to work-from-home operations, the number of cyber-attacks has increased considerably. Those that took precautionary measures early on and invested in cybersecurity systems have seen a smoother transition to remote work environments without compromising security. Still, the same cannot be said for those who didn’t.
Reducing the Risk of Cyber Attacks
Every remote worker in your organization comes with potential cyber threats that are essential to account for in your overall comprehensive IT strategy. Securing a remote workforce means protecting your business from threats. Here are some measures you can take to keep your data safe:
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Defining the Secure Channels of Communications
Although organizations have taken measures to provide employees with company-issued devices, there are no guarantees that these devices will be completely protected from potential attacks. Organizations must determine which channels will reduce security risks. This should include secured internet internal messaging platforms, conferencing, screen-sharing, and file-sharing applications.
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Restrict and Protect Data Access
Besides encouraging employees to connect to the company’s VPN, which provides an additional layer of security, organizations can take the following steps:
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- Encourage employees to secure online meetings with a password
- Share files over secured file-sharing portals
- Segment data access based on pre-defined profiles, permissions, and rules to ensure employees only have access to the data they need to perform their job roles
- When possible, employees should work or have access to private cloud platforms and applications to ensure data is being backed up
- Avoid connecting unknown devices such as USB sticks or personal cellphones to the company’s hardware
- Remain vigilant when reading emails, messages and browsing the web
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Monitor and Maintain
Organizations should continuously monitor the efforts of the employees to work within the guidelines established. If all employees follow the rules, and network administrators have all the necessary remote monitoring tools to detect, identify, manage, and respond to threats, security and data breaches will be minimized.
Partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP)
Not every organization has a dedicated IT team with an infrastructure that can withstand growing cyber-attacks. What can such organizations do to ensure safety and security? Seek the help of Managed IT Support and Service providers. This means getting robust IT solutions and access to top-notch expertise in cyber technology at economical costs.
In a time of crisis, your systems need to be secured. MSPs can protect your systems from cybercrimes with high-quality firewalls, IDS/IPS, spam control, and malware protection sourced only from enterprise-grade vendors. What’s more? You can also benefit from a range of other managed cloud services or hybrid cloud solutions to help manage your business needs and expectations.
So, while you focus on taking your business forward, MSPs can take care of your cyber security needs by and optimizing your digital environment for improved performance.
