Connecting, communicating and collaborating on-the-go or at home is one thing, but doing it securely is another – here are our 3 top security tips for remote and home working.
The modern workplace is forever-changing because of societal factors like globalisation, but also in response to new drivers like disability and mobility, more so, to deal with emerging new threats like the global Coronavirus pandemic, (COVID-19).
We understand both the importance of keeping a business up and running, as well as the welfare and wellbeing of staff, that’s why we provide state-of-the-art affordable solutions that enable a business to connect, communicate and collaborate. Anywhere. Anytime.
However, whilst we all have the capability of working from home, we must ensure it is safe to do so.
There are many products and solutions that can protect your assets and devices outside the workplace, but it can be quite confusing and overwhelming to know which are the right ones and what you should be protecting, so here are our top 3 security tips for working from home and on the go.
1. Get a Good VPN
The easiest and safest way to protect your data as it moves from your internal core system (your office) to your home or remote workers is a via a virtual private network, or more commonly known, VPN.
Not only does a VPN hide a users IP address, but it also masks a users location and encrypts all data as it’s in transit, making it near impossible to unscramble and pretty useless to hackers.
Depending on the size of your organisation, that could determine what sort of budget you have to spend on such tools, and whilst there are free VPN providers out there, we’d strongly advise you to think twice, as, like most things, you get what you pay for, and can you really afford to take the risk when it comes to your company data?
Of course, we’d fully expect you to do due diligence before selecting a VPN provider, but as a Cisco Premier Partner, we and the majority of our clients use Cisco AnyConnect, the industries leading and most secure VPN tool on the market.
With Cisco’s AnyConnect, you can empower your employees to work from anywhere, on company laptops or personal mobile devices, at any time.
AnyConnect simplifies secure endpoint access and provides the security necessary to help keep your organisation safe and protected – giving you the ultimate peace of mind your business and employees are secure online.
2. Use MFA
Having a secure connection is one thing, but ensuring who’s on the end of that connection is another.
With multi-factor authentication, more commonly known as two-factor or MFA, is a solution that verifies and ensures that your users are exactly who they say they are before they can proceed to business-critical information.
In most cases, MFA protects your device and applications by using a second source of validation, like a phone or token, to verify user identity before granting access.
Adding that simple and extra layer of security gives employers the confidence to enable home and remote working knowing only authorised employees are on the other end.
Cisco Duo is a cost-effective cloud-based MFA tool that integrates with your existing technology, providing a streamlined login experience for every user and application.
Duo is easy to manage and gives employers full visibility of who is logged in where and when, it also boasts the functionality to revoke access if needed.
Cisco Duo is fast becoming one of the industries leading MFA tools, and as a Cisco Premier Partner, we are proud to supply the technology with attractive costs per user.
3. Get Cloud Security, Now!
One of, if not the most important solution any business should have, whether on-site or at home, is cloud security.
Cloud security is the protection of data, applications, and infrastructures involved in cloud computing, in a nutshell, anything connected to the internet, it protects.
Cloud security solutions integrate with your existing hardware and software, giving a full wrap-around approach to keep your users and business safe from the forever growing number of threats online.
With Cisco Umbrella, you will empower your employees to work from home and on-the-go, giving you the ultimate peace of mind knowing their computer and devices have maximum security, no matter where and when they decide to work.
Whilst offering your employees the opportunity work from home isn’t a necessity of a modern-day business, yet, in these unprecedented times, it has become the norm for millions across the globe – questioning the possibilities and scalability of each and every business in operation today.
The reality is, to survive, a business must solider on and smile in the face of adversity, tackling what’s in front of it, and with the number of emerging new and existing technologies available, you and your business can do just that.
If you would like to discuss what readily-available options you have to enable remote working in your business, then head over to advantex.uk.com/service/internet/remote-working where we have an array of FREE trials to help get you secure during this time.
