In response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, many businesses are working remote for the time-being. Whether you are providing corporate laptops to your employees or allowing them to use their own personal devices, you want to make sure your remote connection is secure.
InfraGard, a non-profit organization serving as a public-private partnership between U.S. business and the FBI, has released a guideline listing best cyber practices for companies to adopt, to ensure their information is kept safe and secure at all times. Below we highlight their recommendations and encourage our customers and vendors to follow the same guidelines.
Best Practices for working remote & ensuring security:
Computer
Dedicated workspace
Good internet connection
Phone & Camera
Chat applications
Self-motivation
Require VPN Access for Internal Networks
By using a VPN, you are encrypting your corporate traffic to avoid man-in-the-middle attacks or eavesdroppers.
Update Password Policies
Ensure that your employees fully understand and comply with your password policies. If you do not have password policies in place, now may be the time to implement those. If you already have policies, review them to ensure best practices are still being met.
Separate User Accounts
If employees are using their own desktop, require them to create a new user account for work only. This separation helps with both privacy and security.
Invest in Full-Featured endpoint security for home workers
Home computers are often not up to the job of protecting your company’s assets. InfraGard suggests that the best option would still be business-class endpoint security that can be fully managed by your IT team. This would include firewall, malicious website protection and malware.
Require Multi-Factor Authentication
This will be your best defense against cyber criminals who may use brute-force techniques or stolen credentials.
Require Encryption
When dealing with sensitive information or documents on personal devices, it is best to provide encryption while requiring separation of personal files.
Keep Machines Up-to-Date
It will be difficult to know how well your employees keep their personal computers up-to-date. Enable automated updates on all of their systems to be sure they are all current with security measures.
In addition to these recommendations, it's important to remember to always use good cyber hygiene and security measures. Cyber threats have been on the rise since the outbreak of COVID-19. Make sure your employees are aware of any threats that may appear. Check out our blog post, Covid-19 Causes a Spike in Cyber Threats and Hacks, to review tips on remaining vigilant during these times!
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