Technology Security Tips for Businesses Working Remotely

Technology Security Tips for Businesses Working Remotely

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses to adapt quickly to remote workforces. The dramatic disruption in how work has done has forced companies to manage new technology issues and address new cybersecurity concerns.

Why?

Employees are working on home WiFi networks and using technologies like Microsoft Teams, Office 365 and Zoom for videoconferencing, file sharing and communicating. They may be using personal computers and mobile devices. And there are the ongoing worries about the pandemic and economic downturn.

The conditions are ideal for cyberattacks by hackers looking to steal data or disrupt work by installing malware or ransomware.

What Can Our Business Do to Protect Business Data?

Maintaining data and system security is crucial, given the present working conditions. Here are some security tips to protect your most valuable business assets.

• Use Better Passwords and Authentication. Be sure that your organization requires difficult passwords and that those credentials are changed frequently. Your critical applications and systems, including administrative routers and modems, web portals and mobile apps should use multi-factor authentication to make it more difficult to breach security.
• Turn It Off. Consider disabling Wireless Protected Setu (WPS). While it’s an easy way to connect new devices, hackers can exploit it to connect to WiFi networks. Similarly, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), which allows network devices to communicate, also has been found to have many security issues.
• Turn It On. Cryptography tools are necessary to encrypt information entering and leaving your networks. Unfortunately, many older encryption tools are outdated and ineffective. These older tools are common in home-based networks. Configure WPA2 and WPA3 for home use for remote employees
• Automate Updates. Be sure that your routers, modems and software are set to automatically download updates, which are often issued to address emerging security issues.
• Use a Firewall. Next-generation firewalls keep your network perimeters protected. Be sure to remind your remote workforce to configure these settings to ensure that firewalls block malicious network traffic
• Lock Sessions. Apps and connections that run idle are opportunities for hackers. Make sure that sessions time out due to inactivity and require a new round of logins
• Provide Support. The shift to remote work will likely mean an uptick in demand for technical support. Your help-desk solution needs to be able to respond to hardware, software, network and speed issues from employees adjusting to different connectivity strengths and tools
• Change Workflows. You may need to consider your existing policies and procedures to adapt to remote work. Electronic signatures, for example, maybe the norm for awhile

What Do Employees Need to Know About Network Security?

Education is the first line of defense for your network security strategy. It’s important to ensure that employees understand the challenges and pervasiveness of cyberattacks and how to prevent them. Here are some tips to share with employees:

• Avoid public WiFi if at all possible
• Do not click on links or attachments from senders you do not know. Hovering over a website link or email address can give you a strong clue as to the sender’s validity
• Do not share sensitive information, including logins, passwords, account numbness or bank information with callers. Companies like Google and Microsoft will never ask for a password over the phone
• Do not leave laptops or phones used for business unattended in your car
• Don’t use thumb drives or cloud-based storage solutions like Dropbox or Google Drive

Lan Infotech is here to support your company during these challenging times. Our security assessments and solutions help you address vulnerabilities with proven, advanced technologies. Our multi-layered approach envelops your systems and data with security protection to keep valuable business information protected. To learn more, contact us today.