Staying Safe From Anywhere with Remote Working Security

The Basics of Remote Working Security

Security from home is similar to security from the office. In a few simple steps, you can vastly increase the security of your remote workers. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and up-to-date technology are the best first steps to a secure organization.

• A VPN allows your employees to connect to the internet through your local network, whether they’re in the office or not. This means that they’re brought under the umbrella of your existing cyber-security systems. All inbound and outbound connections are as secure as if they were happening in your office.

• MFA has been increasingly common in the last decade, with almost all of us using a service that uses some form of MFA. This can look like verification codes sent to an email address, apps that generate single-use login codes, or even physical tokens that employees carry with them. MFA removes the need for passwords that can be stolen or forgotten.

• Cyber security is constantly advancing; working hard to keep ahead of threats. By ensuring that your hardware and software is constantly updated, you can stay ahead of the curve. Outdated devices and systems are the easiest access point for cyber-threats.

• Cyberattacks might be scary, but with your head in the clouds, you can easily miss easily-resolved threats. By educating employees on basic home and personal security (e.g. keep equipment in a safe, locked place; don’t leave it in cars where they can be easily stolen), you can avoid simple attacks of opportunity.

Remote working security doesn’t stop with technology. Human error is the most common cause of data breaches. Getting your employees on the same page is essential when building remote working security.

Remote Working Security through Workforce Management

Remote working security begins with people. If every member of your organization understands the importance of cyber-security, and what best practice looks like, you can ensure that security protocols are observed and essential data is protected.

But what does that look like in practice?

• A Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) solution allows you to get a complete overview of your organization within a single interface. You can monitor agent activity, and view screens and interactions with customers, to ensure that your employees follow security best practices and meets compliance standards, wherever they are working from.

• Cyber-security can be complex, and a lot to take in at once. By making all relevant information accessible through your internal knowledge base, you can ensure any employee can get up-to-speed on remote working security at any time.

• Providing access to training is a first step, but that doesn’t mean your employees will access it. They’re busy people, after all. You need to incentivize training, give your employees a reason to engage. A points-based reward system, that lets you monitor employee engagement with content from one central location, and deal out rewards accordingly, is an essential step to engaging your workforce.

• In the event of a security breach, you need to be able to communicate with the relevant employees, fast. A Unified Communications solution allows you to access all parts of your organization from within a single pane of glass, letting you work to resolve issues at the source.

By effectively supporting your employees, you can build remote working security from the ground up. Bringing your whole organization onboard is absolutely essential.

The Zero-Trust Approach

Keeping employees well-informed is an important first step; even so, mistakes will happen. In cases like these, the worst outcomes can be avoided by sensible distribution of access. That is; your employees should only have the accesses they need, and no more.

This approach is sometimes referred to as ‘zero-trust’. This doesn’t mean you don’t trust your employees; it means you don’t need to.

• Sensitive data should only be accessible to those who needs it to complete their work. This means that things like customer information, payment details, et cetera, should only be available to a small minority of your employees.

• Unfortunately, much of this data has to be passed through front-line customer service agents before it can be entered into your systems of record.

• Information leakage can be prevented by masking payment details taken over the phone. By shifting customers into an agent-less payment environment, you can complete phone payments without risk of an agent hearing sensitive payment details.

By restricting information to only those who need it, you can mitigate the risk of remote working. By reducing the amount you need to protect, you can make establishing remote working security easier.