The way we work has drastically changed in the past year, and one of the significant shifts many organizations and their employees have had to embrace and adapt to quickly is working from home. As novel as working remotely sounds, it comes with risks.
Data Security Risks of Working from Home
One of the biggest challenges of remote work is that it opens organizations up to data breaches. This is because the layers of security at home typically aren’t as robust as those in the office. When computers leave the office, they also leave behind all the strict security protocols you have put in place. That’s why it’s important that you put preventative measures in place to safeguard the data your employees work with remotely as well.
Prevent Data Breaches at Home
So, how do you ensure that your data is safe and that productivity is high while your employees work from home?
Secure Wi-Fi Connection
One of the most common ways of accessing the internet is via Wi-Fi, but not all Wi-Fi connections are secure, especially public Wi-Fi. Avoid it at all costs. If you don’t have a reliable Wi-Fi connection nearby, your best option is to use a dedicated hotspot, your smartphone being a great option. While this may mean incurring extra charges, they’re nominal compared to the cost of a data breach.
Work from Home Storage Solutions
Another way to mitigate data breaches is to invest in portable work from home storage solutions. These are secure hard drives that are encrypted and which feature a rugged case for safe transportation. Even if it gets lost, stolen, or exposed to harsh weather or fire, your data will be safe. To further guard against data loss, you can also employ a portable RAID system for home use.
Employee Training and Policy Updates
Technology goes a long way in helping prevent data breaches, but the biggest vulnerability lies with the people who use it. That’s why you must conduct employee training to ensure that everyone follows security protocols designed to safeguard company information. You must also, in the same vein, update your policies regarding how employees handle company data.
Encryption Technology
One inevitable part of working from home is that you’ll have to send and receive sensitive data. Whether it’s via email or other technologies like virtual data storage solutions, it’s strongly advised that you encrypt your data before sending it. This ensures that even if malicious entities manage to get hold of it, it will be useless to them.
Data Security for Working Remotely is Important
More than ever, data security has become one priority your organization needs to invest in for success. From virtual data storage to RAID systems for home offices, you need to do everything in your power to prevent data loss as you work from home. If you need help selecting the optimal ways to strengthen your data security for remote work, give us a call at 818-773-8989 to learn more today.
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