Offering the potential for remote work gives your business a level-up on your competitors. Employees like to feel like their company will grow and adapt to the ever-changing job market. Individuals are more likely than ever before to choose jobs that can be done from the comfort of their homes, so what does this mean for you and maintaining your company’s data security?
BENEFITS OF OFFERING REMOTE WORK OPTIONS
Offering a remote work option to your employees is an awesome way to:
- Increase employee retention rates
- Increase employee satisfaction
- Create a competitive option in your industry’s job market
There are a variety of benefits when it comes to offering remote work in your company. Often, remote work requires very little from the business owner. Many employees have access to their own laptops and Wi-Fi networks, and if you have the resources to provide those things to your employees, they will most likely be very satisfied with the company that they work for.
When it comes to safety, there are some safety measures that you can put in place to protect your company’s data while integrating remote work into operations.
Here are 4 tools that can help you ensure your company’s data is secure while employees work remotely.
1) ENCRYPTION SOFTWARE
Software like this offers an added layer of protection in the event of theft or hacking of devices. It ensures that all secure data is encrypted and cannot be decoded by unwarranted persons.
There are many popular business tools that already utilize encrypted software. The most overlooked platforms that should be protected are emails and message programs. Employees may send sensitive information via text or unencrypted email, which leaves room for the data to be exposed.
2) MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION
This is an awesome way to prevent hacking via guessed passwords. Many individuals use passwords that are easy to guess, which leaves their profiles at risk for hacking.
Multi-factor authentication not only requires the username and password to be entered but also requires a security code sent to the employee’s mobile device or email, or entered from an authentication app. This is a great way to keep employee accounts secure.
3) ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
This is especially important if employees are using their personal devices for work. There are many different firewalls and antivirus software to protect any device. If you provide electronics for your staff, be sure to equip them with the proper protection.
You may also need to invest in this software for your employees to download onto their personal devices or require them to have it if they want to pursue remote work. It is best to take preventative action when it comes to hacking and data leakage.
4) SECURE INTERNET
Many people do not understand the risk that they take when connecting to unsecured internet networks. These are common at restaurants, stores, and other public spaces.
It is important that you educate your employees on the risks of connecting to unsecured WI-FI networks. This puts the data on their device at risk.
In order to ensure that all remote employees work on a secure network, you can require that they use a virtual private network (VPN). VPN’s encrypt the internet usage and provide security for your remote worker.
Remote work is growing in demand, and it is becoming more popular for companies to provide the option for remote work. This does not have to be a burden on you or your company, as it is relatively easy for some employees to make the switch. Just be sure to have the proper preventative software in place, and educate your employees on the tools that you will use for prevention: VPNs, multi-factor authentication, firewalls, and encryption.
