Protecting Business Data in a Remote Work Environment

Remote work and dispersed teams are the workplace model of the future, but it comes with some critical challenges for businesses looking to ensure the security of their data. In this blog, Team Lightyear walks enterprises through some of the best practices to ensure data security in a remote work environment.

The shift towards remote work has been massive, further accelerated by the pandemic. This operating model has highlighted the many vulnerabilities in data-security practices among businesses. In a world where 12.7% of workers are fully remote, and a further 28.2% are working on hybrid models, safeguarding sensitive information matters. Especially when, even in 2018, 16% of companies already reported working fully remotely. There are many positives to the remote working model, but off-site environments often lack the robust security infrastructure and centralized access points of traditional office settings. From insecure wi-fi networks to the use of personal devices and escalating cybersecurity threats, companies need comprehensive security measures to protect their data and mitigate potential threats.

Risks of Remote Work for Data Security

Remember the Twitter data breach in 2020, where remote access was exploited through social engineering? Or the notorious Zoom-bombing incidents during the pandemic? Preventing these types of data leaks can be harder in a remote work environment for a variety of reasons. These include the following. 

• Unsecured Networks: Home or public wi-fi often lack encryption, leaving it vulnerable to interception by cyber criminals. 

• Personal and Unencrypted Devices: Personal devices lack corporate security controls and are often shared with family or used without the encryption needed to tighten data defenses. 

• Human Error: Employees may accidentally share sensitive information via email or fall victim to phishing attacks.

• Lack of IT Support: Without regular IT support, vulnerabilities are likely to remain. Remote workers also typically receive less security training, and remote access tools can be exploited if not properly secured. 

• Data Synchronization Issues: Synchronizing data across multiple devices can lead to inconsistencies and accidental exposure of sensitive information. 

• Shadow IT:  This fancy term covers the use of unauthorized software or applications, which can bypass established security protocols and increase the risk of data leaks.

• Lack of Secure Backups: Remote work environments might lack proper backup solutions, which could lead to data loss during ransomware attacks or system failures.

• Compliance Issues: Remote work can also complicate adherence to data-protection regulations, as data may be handled in environments that do not meet required compliance standards. 

Best Practices for Securing Sensitive Information

Implementing strong data security practices is vital in a remote work environment. Even relatively simple changes, like using strong passwords, VPNs, and regular employee training, can significantly mitigate the risks to your company’s data. Here are some easy tips to help remote employees secure their devices and data.

Strong Password Creation and Management

It all starts with a strong password – the key to unlock your for-your-eyes-only data. Strong passwords should comprise at least 12 characters, using upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters, to make them harder to crack. Employees need to understand that easily guessable or mineable information, like common words, pets’ and spouses’ names, and birthdays, are a major security risk. Passwords should also not be reused across multiple accounts. Instead, urge employees to use company-approved password managers to generate and store complex passwords without having to memorize them. Regularly updating passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication provides another layer of security.

Smart, strong passwords are the foundation of data security. Embrace them!

Encryption Tools for Devices

Next, we have encryption. Imagine standing on the office balcony yelling out your corporate secrets to your buddy. Not safe, right? Now picture doing so in your very own incomprehensible secret language – criminals are less likely to be able to interpret that “overheard” information to use against you this time! That’s the fundamental concept behind encryption. During transmission, sensitive data is converted into an unreadable format, which can only be “reassembled” intelligibly on the other side with the correct decryption key. This allows employees and companies to secure data on laptops, smartphones, and tablets, ensuring that even if devices are lost or stolen, the information remains protected.

Secure File Sharing and Storage Solutions

You still need to ensure that the shared files and data your team needs daily are safe from criminal incursion. They shouldn’t just be mailing files to each other and hoping for the best! Here is where secure file-sharing, especially secured cloud solutions, is critically important. These solutions build in features such as user authentication, access controls, and audit logs, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access your data, and you can always track their activities.

Additionally, secure Wide Area Networking, or WAN, solutions, including Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN), are your secret tools in this fight for data protection. Offering simpler ways to create encrypted connections, alongside optimized network performance and dynamic routing of traffic through secure channels, not only ensures higher data transfer speeds and improved reliability for your remote teams but helps keep your data safe, too. Can you say efficient collaboration and minimized risk? It’s a win for everyone!

Staff Training and Education

Without investing in the right staff training and education around data security and cyber risks, you cannot truly call your sensitive data secured. Remember, in the flow of a busy workday, their first thought won’t be, “Is this data 100% secure?” It will be, “How do I get my job done quickly and with minimum inconvenience?” 

Effective training equips staff to identify phishing attempts, use secure passwords, and handle data responsibly. Regular security awareness sessions and simulated cyberattacks will also help to reinforce those best practices. Lastly, don’t overlook the value of a strong network procurement partner. They have the skill and expertise to help you select the perfect external and internal resources for your connectivity and security needs and can guide you on the tools and intrinsic network design you need to create the strongest and safest business infrastructure.

Tools and Technologies for Remote Work Security

Now you have the right fundamentals in place to ensure a safe data environment for remote workers, let’s take a brief look at the tools and technologies that will help you become a cyber criminal’s nightmare.

• Virtual Private Networks: VPNs create an encrypted “tunnel” between their source and destination instead of sending it over the public internet, making life easier for remote workers and harder for those looking to intercept your data. 

• Multi-Factor Authentication: MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional identity verification after a password is inputted.

• Secure Internet Connections: Ensure you are using secure wi-fi with WPA3 encryption to protect your data during transmission. 

• Endpoint Protection: Endpoint protection is the fancy name for something we have already covered – ensuring devices are protected from both malware and unauthorized access.

• Cloud Security Solutions: Tools specifically designed to make your cloud-data storage even more secure, and enact strict access control, often offered through your cloud host. 

• Data Loss Prevention Tools: Another suite of software tools that help to prevent unauthorized sharing and exposure of your sensitive data. 

• Automated Backups: Scheduling automatic, encrypted backups through software solutions helps bypass the human error factor and ensures data is always up to date, safe, and secure.

In addition to these tried-and-trusted tools, emerging AI technology can be leveraged to monitor network traffic for errors and anomalies that could indicate unapproved activity, allowing immediate, proactive responses from your business. With these tools in place, businesses can create a robust, reliable security framework that still allows remote teams to work efficiently, whilst also mitigating the risk of data breaches and loss.

Implementing a Robust Cybersecurity Policy

If it is worth doing, it’s worth recording. Creating a cybersecurity policy ensures everyone is on the same page and consistently working toward the same data-safety goals. Keep the following in mind when you’re developing an effective cybersecurity policy.

• Develop Clear Guidelines: Establish comprehensive rules on data handling, secure communication, and device usage, including acceptable use policies and protocols for remote access to company systems.

• Be Regularly Updated: Cyber criminals don’t stop, neither does technology. Continuously review and update your policy to address emerging threats and technological advancements, new security measures, and changing regulations.

• Establish Access Control: Implement role-based access controls to limit data exposure to only those who need it. 

• Include an Incident Response Plan: Develop a clear incident response plan that outlines steps for identifying, reporting, and mitigating security breaches quickly.

Don’t forget to then train your employees on your established policy, to ensure workplace compliance and keep their knowledge fresh.

With these steps in place, you can protect against the risks in a remote work environment. If you need assistance with procuring the perfect network to support your data-security needs, reach out to Lightyear.ai today, and we will put our procurement expertise to work for you.