While a recent PwC survey found that 83% of companies that decided to move to remote work were successful in doing so, a lot of business owners and executives are still reluctant to let their employees work remotely, and it’s somewhat understandable. There are some inherent risks to allowing employees to work from anywhere they want without direct supervision. But most, if not all of these risks can be virtually eliminated by making the right choices. Here’s how you can alleviate the risk associated with remote working.
Establish Clear Safety Protocols for Devices
One of the biggest risk factors for remote workplaces is the mismanagement of devices. Security breaches happen all the time through different techniques, but it is often the employees’ or employer’s negligence that is at fault.
You need to have a clear system in place for the protection of devices. You have to make sure that everyone uses robust passwords on their devices and that they use safe password managers. As a matter of fact, you should consider getting the devices for them and stocking them with all the applications needed to keep them safe.
You need to have a protocol in place for switching passwords too. This will be your best protection in case a device gets stolen or lost. You should also have some tracking applications and a clear list of things that need to be done if a device is lost.
Hire a Managed IT Service
If you have one or two people on your books handling IT, or none at all, you will need to start looking at outsourced managed IT teams right away. They are the only ones who can keep your remote workers and systems safe at all times. There will be so much back and forth between your employees’ devices and your network, and you need a way to safeguard important files and allow the right people to have just the right amount of access.
You also need to be able to spot irregularities and breaches quickly, stop them in their tracks, and find out who’s responsible either directly or indirectly. You’ll have a hard time finding an employee that can do all of this. If you’re worried that this may be too much for you to handle, Contact SoVision IT support today before it’s too late.
Educate Your Employees on Network Security
You cannot go to each of your employees’ houses and segment their routers for them, but there are things that you can do to make sure that they navigate networks safely. Teach your employees to use a VPN if they decide to work over public networks. They should also know about the risks of working via a home network with multiple users and be taught how to create different networks. There should be one network for personal devices, one for everyday personal use, and one for work only. This will prevent bad agents from using household members’ devices to hijack work devices.
Don’t be afraid to make the switch to a remote workplace. It can be done safely, and your employees will thank you for it. You might even see better productivity and you could make tons of savings in the process.
