It has been a difficult year for most companies around the world. Some had to close down temporarily during lockdown periods, and others had to adapt their employees’ work method so that they could do it from home. We don’t always realize it, but having people connect to the central network, away from the office, creates a potential danger to the company’s digital privacy. Here is what needs to be solved, to fully secure the servers.
Remote Work: Here to Stay
Before the sanitary crisis of COVID-19, some countries were already more advanced in terms of remote working than others. They were better prepared for the sudden necessary change that happened, and they understood the security problems it could cause. That is why many of their companies already knew how vpn protects business network, and insisted that all their employees were connected to the one chosen by management.
Now, it almost seems impossible to go back to the way things were before. Many people will spend more time remote working in the future, and that should be a cause for concern to the people in charge of digital security in these businesses. Although it was rather easy to organize for one person to work from home, now that a portion of the company will work remotely, new rules have to be applied to keep the network safe. They go from establishing communication policies to creating access protocols.
Potential Security Problems
1) EMPLOYEE PASSWORDS
To install passwords inside company computers is one thing; to do so on employees’ private PC can be much more complicated. It can create a breach of privacy that needs to be sealed. It can also complicate the connection, which can affect employees’ productivity.
2) UNSAFE INTERNET CONNECTIONS
In an office, the Wi-Fi network is usually well secured through encryption. It may not be the case for employees working from home. It means that individuals or groups could intercept the information coming in or going out and steal personal information which could then be used to enter into the company’s network.
Solutions
1) VPN
Using a VPN is a necessary step before connecting to the internet. Employees should all have one for their home, but a business VPN, selected by the company, is also of first importance. It will protect the network by securing the communication.
2) PASSWORD MANAGER
Password manager software will help to protect the connection between employees at home and the host at the office, as well. It securely stores passwords and solves the issue of forgotten passwords at the same time.
