The workforce has turned mobile. Gone are the days when employees had to be in the office in order to do their jobs. Remote work is now not just a possibility, but a reality. Remote work has contributed to the increase in productivity, as well as increased job satisfaction in employees. However, with a considerable number of people now able to work from home, companies have to develop plans to maintain data security. 

 

There are sensitive types of data that need to be kept secure. Things like workforce management platforms that handle employee leaves and records should always be kept secured to avoid data leakage. Customer data is another important information that needs to be kept secure, or else face legal and reputational consequences. 

 

The integrity of your company’s technology and security systems cannot be compromised as it would risk your company’s entire operation. Read the tips below on how you and your IT team can keep your company data secure. 

Data security tips

 

Educate your employees

 

Remote work is not as simple as giving your employees laptops and company phones, and sending them on their merry way. It involves a lot of planning and training. Since your remote employees now don’t have the luxury of walking into the IT offices to ask for help when they need it, you’ll need to ensure that your employees are armed with the basic knowledge of things to look out for and what to do. 

 

• Educate them about phishing emails. Let them know what they look like, the signs to look out for, and what to do when they get one (flagging and reporting).
• Train them on certain security protocols — the safety measures that your security team has put in place in order to maintain data security. 
• Provide training materials about the types of data within your organization, who can be granted access to them, and the importance of keeping all manner of data secure. 

 

Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

 

With a more mobile workforce, companies now do not have control over how secure an employee’s connection is. The networks that employees use at home or wherever it is they choose to work remotely from are usually not as secure as an office network. That is why investing in, or subscribing to, a VPN is a good way of maintaining network security. 

 

VPNs establish a secure and encrypted connection to your network and allow for the exchange of data safely across public networks and directly into your network. It is like having your own private highway above the clogged public thoroughfares below. VPNs protect you from certain types of cyberattacks and make it harder to pinpoint your location and monitor your activities. 

 

Make sure that the devices your remote employees use have your company’s chosen VPN installed. Ensure that your VPN endpoints are fully patched and that you use two-factor authentication. 

 

Vendor risk management

 

After ensuring that your company is well protected from security breaches and cyberattacks, you will also need to ensure that the third-party vendors you use have secure platforms. A security breach can come from anywhere, even from the vendors you use in your day-to-day grind. 

 

One way of checking if your third-party vendors are secure is to check their security ratings. Much like FICO scores are important when checking a person’s credit worthiness, security ratings provide an objective measure of the strength of a company’s cybersecurity. Low scores mean that they have weak security and you may need to think twice before taking them on as a vendor. 

 

Ensure that you have a good vendor risk management program in place. Properly vet the outsourced companies and tools you use. Practice due diligence and ensure that their cybersecurity strength matches yours. 

 

DLP security checklist

 

Data loss prevention (DLP) is an important practice in any workplace. Data breaches can happen at any time, exposing sensitive data to eyes that have no business seeing them. Data breaches can cause companies monetary loss, customer loss, and legal problems.

 

This is why having a proper DLP security checklist is massively important. It is vital to keep up with the ever evolving protocols and regulations that govern data loss prevention. If your company does not have a proper security checklist in place yet, use the key points below to help you. 

 

• • Categorize your data. A good first step is to know which data needs special security measures and which ones can be presented and made available to employees. This way you can identify the protocols to establish for certain data groups to maintain data security. 

• Follow regulations. Depending on where you are and what your organization does, certain data security regulations may or may not apply to your company. The important thing is to remain compliant to whichever regulations govern your organization. 

• Cascade the information to your employees. Once you have your DLP program in place, make sure you educate your employees regarding these guidelines. 

• Monitor and adjust. Keep a close eye on things to ensure that the protocols put in place are followed. And should there be any changes in regulations, modify your protocols to remain compliant. 

 

Final Thoughts

 

Data security is the responsibility of everyone. That is why companies need to educate their employees, create strong and scalable security protocols, and ensure that everyone involved in the day-to-day activities of the business adhere to these protocols. Remember that your data security is only as strong as your weakest link. 

Contributed By:

Aussy Aportadera [email protected]