IT teams and their organizations are working together to mitigate the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Companies are striving to maintain normal business operations while managing a nearly 100% work-from-home workforce. It is critical to ensure access to necessary applications and workflows, all without compromising security or functionality. Join Scott Potter of Aegis Network Group, as we examine how to enable a productive remote working environment while focusing on security and compliance. These best practices serve as an ideal foundation to: • Support a remote workforce • Protect sensitive company data • Streamline auditing processes • Provide rapid threat evaluation and remediation
Discover how a powerful combination of security and best practices can help organizations take control of the remote work world.
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Highlights: Guide to Enabling a Productive and Secure Remote Work Environment
1. Make It Easy For Users to Get Started
Take advantage of Self Service Portals, where users can install the necessary applications they need.
Ensure communication channels are accessible to all employees and that everyone is aware of how to get IT help. Utilize a helpdesk, chat platforms like Microsoft Teams, and a Company Intranet site to provide status updates.
2. Ensure Systems Are Fully Protected
All updates should be set to be automatically applied for both the Operating Systems and Applications used by employees.
3. Encrypt Mobile Devices
Enable encryption of mobile devices such as laptops, phones, and tablets.
Use an Encryption Management Tool, so that you can quickly address any issues and demonstrate that the device was encrypted to minimize your risk of a data breach fine.
Leverage Multi-Factor Authentication to provide additional layers of security to systems.
4. Utilize a VPN Where Possible
A VPN will ensure that even if the Wi-Fi is not trusted, a secure, trusted connection back to the office can be made.
5. Scan & Secure Email
In a recent cybersecurity survey that surveyed over 3,000 IT managers in 12 countries, email was the way that 33% of attacks penetrated an organization. Emails may have had malicious links, or malicious attachments, or may have impersonated an internal employee.
Ensure that your email protection is up-to-date and that inbound and outbound emails are being scanned for threats.
6. Enable Web Filtering
Protect users from risky websites that could leave them vulnerable to attacks.
7. Enable Use of Cloud Storage for Files and Data
Leverage cloud storage, like Microsoft 365, to ensure documents are accessible from anywhere while maintaining security.
Provide continuity of data by backing up Cloud data with a 3rd party backup solution.
8. Manage Use of Removable Storage
The combination of a Remote Work Policy and a mobile device management platform can manage the use of USB storage devices to manage this risk.
9. Control Mobile Devices
By utilizing mobile device management solutions, your company can ensure mobile devices maintain compliance with security and installed applications
If a user's device is lost or stolen, you can protect the data on the device through encryption and remotely locking or wiping the device.
10. Make It Easy for People to Access IT Help
Setup multiple communication channels for people to get in touch with IT personnel. We recommend having a central phone number, email address, and chat platform where employees can request assistance.
11. Be Aware of any Shadow IT Solution In Your Organization
Restrict the use of applications that are not pre-approved to prevent accidental data breaches.
Work with your IT team to deploy new applications so they can ensure the necessary security is configured.
Please feel free to contact us for assistance with any of the topics discussed and to set up your remote employees.