Working Remotely Security Series

Working Remotely or as the popular term ‘working from home’ is still present during these uncertain times, we have transitioned our customers to a proactive business approach with enhanced IT network infrastructure. Telecommuting is nothing new but with the sudden statewide orders and mandates in California and many other states. It has been an alarming wake-up for small business owners to keep up with changes due to the pandemic. In our Working Remotely Security Series, we will showcase tips and ways to embrace new alternative technology for businesses, employees, and individuals.

Home Office Setup

For most of us or maybe just myself, working from home has always been popular. Employees have always wanted to work from home or at least given a chance by their employers. But, as we all know, during these unique times, employers were forced to have their employees or some of them working remotely. Almost overnight, the employees dream has come true. Finally, they can work from home. But, is working from home all its cracked up to be? Is it efficient or non-efficient? Can it be done by a productive approach?

But, Your office setup at home should be a place where it’s as if you were in your own office space at work. A quiet place away from the family, kids, and pets distractions.

Business-grade equipment

Password Manager:

For best security practice any business can start with is having a business password manager for every employee, vendor, or third-parties. Why? To give limited access to certain accounts and manage accessibility on any business password. If you have employees using their personal computers while remotely working our strong recommendation for security is to always log out of their business password manager when they are not working.

A trusted password management vendor we use and deploy for small businesses is Keeper Security. A robust password management tool that allows us IT administrators control and maintains security compliance to reduce the risk of a data breach.

Virtual Communication:

How your team communicated before will now be all done online. Whichever email provider your business uses will have tools and addons provided at no or low extra cost during this time. Does your business use  Microsoft Office 365? G Suite?  Depending on which email provider your business uses, those companies have released tools to collaborate and communicate easily. From instant messaging chats to virtual conferences, these are accessible for your team to use. Alternative virtual communication your business can use is Jitsi.

Productivity Management:

Workplace productivity for teams and employees can be managed remotely. Between the working hours and virtual meetings, business owners can track productivity at an individual level per device and internet filtering on any business-owned equipment. Monitoring employee productivity is important to a companies security and reputation. Limiting employees access to on the internet,

Automation

Market trends have been rapidly changing and the competition is taking advantage of new technology innovations such as automation. According to Gartner, 69% of the manager’s routine work performance can be automated by 2024. This means cutting boring repetitive tasks such as filling forms, updating reports, information, and approving workflows. Allowing automation to take control of these tasks gives a manager free time to focus on leading, supervising, and bringing ideas to the company.

Don’t know where to start? Hiring an IT consultant is one way for small medium-sized businesses can implement strategic solutions for their future growth. It’s never to late to transistion your business to work fully remotely or in a hybrid workplace environemnt. To read more on our working from home series part 2 here.