Remote work has been a mainstay in most businesses’ standard operating procedures in at least some capacity, but it opens up a nasty can of worms regarding cybersecurity. If cybersecurity is not your top priority, and you have remote or hybrid employees, we need to have a talk—and probably a hard one.

Remote Work’s Impact on Your Cybersecurity

With remote work, your company’s threat surface has expanded, opening up more opportunities for cyberthreats.

Think about it like having multiple entry points to your house. Sure, the front door is locked, but what about the back door? If you only have to worry about one door, then it’s easy enough to keep tabs on it, but multiple entrances complicate things.

Considering how valuable remote and hybrid work options are to employees, it makes sense to figure out how to balance the responsibility while keeping cybersecurity in mind.

Which Protections Should Your Business Consider for Remote Operations?

All businesses need to take cybersecurity for remote operations with the utmost importance, and your company must leverage technology solutions to address the following issues:

• Unsecured data access methods - A virtual private network solves this dilemma, as it can encrypt data sent to or from your company’s devices. Remember, a zero-trust approach should be implemented whenever possible, restricting access to data for those who don’t need it.
• Poor cybersecurity awareness - Cybersecurity is already tricky enough, but when you add employees who either don’t care about it or don’t know enough about it, it becomes even worse. Take time to explain policies and procedures so your team understands their importance.
• Unmanaged and unmaintained devices - All devices that access your network, especially those managed outside of the business network, should be monitored in some way.
• Company data outside your network - Businesses must be mindful of where data is stored off-site, including on devices used off the security of the company network. The more locations your data is stored off the network, the more at risk it is.

Let Us Help Your Security Practices

We know this is a lot, so we aim to make cybersecurity as easy as possible.

First Column IT offers competitive security solutions similar to those used by large enterprises—all of which are possible for SMBs. It all begins with a security audit. We’ll then address your unique pain points and help you implement solutions that truly move the needle in your favor.

Learn more by calling us at (571) 470-5594 today.

‍