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Most companies have been forced to quickly implement a remote work solution that suited essential employees or even the entire firm’s staff. This has exposed many companies network to new risks as everyone has a different set up at home. Some are using MACs, some using PCs, some have outdated operating systems and software while others are already infected with viruses or malware.
Now that we are several weeks into quarantine and it doesn’t look like many will be back in the office any time soon, it is a good time to assess how well protected your network and clients data is.
We put together a few Cyber safety tips that will keep your virtual office secure through the remaining weeks.
Ensure that your IT or HR staff is providing awareness security training or updates.Training your staff on how to identify phishing emails and posts is the best defense against them.
Ensure users are using adequate Anti-Virus on their home PCYour staff is now using “unknown” devices to access your network and data. It may be best to provide them with easy access to trusted anti-virus software and have them periodically submit the results of a scan before allowing them to continue to connect.
Provider remote workers with a secure way to connect to your network (VPN).A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is useful in a few ways, it hides the user’s location, hides the user’s IP address, and also makes sure that the data sent from the user’s computer is encrypted. Chances are, your IT staff already has a solution in place for this.
Ensure software is up to date. Are they using Windows 7 or antiquated version of Office products?
An outdated operating system is very susceptible to breach due to unpatched security vulnerabilities. The older a software product is, the less secure it is by modern standards. Patch the software on all devices, including tablets and mobile phones regularly.
Try to make it easy for employees to save and retrieve files from secure locations so documents aren’t saved on potentially compromised local computers, laptops or iPads.Provide your employees with a secure shared drive that will house all documents they need while they work from home. Obviously, a direct secure connection to their normal servers is best, but look to reputable cloud storage services if that is not an option. Personal hard drives, local computers or USB sticks will lead to lost data.
If you have any questions relating to this risk or need help with any Cyber risk related issues, please contact Jon Edwards, Partner, Cyber Risk Advisor, at 732-395-4281 or jedwards@thealsgroup.com