Securing your data when you have staff remote working

Whether you’re using dedicated servers or cloud hosting, the threats to your IT infrastructure are going to be higher when staff are working remotely. And with home working now the new norm, protecting your infrastructure is vital. So, what are the threats against your IT infrastructure and how can you protect yourself?

The threats to your data

There is the potential for more breaches when staff aren’t working in the office. The office is a location that staff will instantly be alert in but at home, they’re more relaxed. This is something that cybercriminals use to their advantage.

Also, because staff aren’t working nearby, it can be harder for them to communicate to discuss any concerns. A common scam is for a criminal group to pose as a senior member of the management team and request an urgent payment to a supplier. Many large brands have fallen victim to this, with Mattel an example often used.

These scams put money directly into the hands of the criminal and this is hard to get back.

Another scam is downloadable executable files that install viruses and malware on your employee’s system. If they’re logging onto your dedicated server or onto a cloud hosting solution, then the hacker might get the access information they need to access your data.

Just because employees are at home, doesn’t mean they should be less vigilant, instead, they need to be more vigilant during these challenging times.

How to secure your system from criminals

There are many things that you can do that can help support your staff while they’re remote working. Here are some of the top tips to help.

1. Use anti-virus software

The first thing to do is to ensure that your staff are using anti-virus software on their systems. This can be done in two ways. The first is by asking them to ensure that their systems are protected through anti-virus software. Or you can extend your current software licences so that your employees can protect their computer.

Anti-virus software should be regularly updated so that new threats are stopped and security gaps in software are fixed. Employees should be trained on how to use anti-virus software. This prevents mistakes from being made.

2. Training

Staff are the number one security gap within any digital environment. This is because even with the best intentions, humans make mistakes. Staff can make small mistakes that can lead to gaps within your data security that can cause significant problems down the line. That is why training is the best weapon you have against cybercriminals.

For that matter, you should be conducting regular training for your staff. This training will need to be revised and re-issued now that people are working remotely. You can do much of the training remotely using software that allows you to build, record and publish training that staff can do remotely and in their own time.

3. Regular backups

Ensure that you’re protected from data corruption by having your data regularly backed up. This should be done on a daily routine basis to prevent the majority of data loss. If you’re stuck on how this can be achieved safely with a dedicated server or when using a cloud hosting provider, speak to an expert.

Regular backups allow you to recover data within minutes should there be a breach. And therefore, the amount of time and data that is lost is minimised. A great way to protect your productivity.

4. Update processes and policies

You should have a bunch of policies that require staff to report all attempts to breach the computer network. The home environment is a little different, so you will also want to make sure that you’ve got policies that account for this. For instance, do you want staff to allow staff to connect other devices to the wi-fi at the same time? Or should staff refrain from using social media whilst working?

Creating this document and then issuing it can help prevent breaches in your IT infrastructure.

5. Update your security

Finally, you will want to look at your IT infrastructure security. When you have a dedicated server, you might find that it has been a while since you’ve updated the core software. This often leads to gaps in your security that can be exploited by criminals. Updating your server software is vital.

At the same time, if you’re not using a dedicated server or cloud hosting solution, this might be the best time to upgrade. There’s going to be more demand on your IT infrastructure as more people are at home. During the first lockdown, the average person was spending 14% more time on the internet. That doesn’t account for the time that was used for working either.

Therefore, if you’re not on a dedicated hosting platform or a cloud hosting solution, you could experience slower responses from your server.

Final word

As more people move to working from home, securing your IT infrastructure is vitally important. Training is the most important element, but so is looking at ensuring you’re up-to-date with your software and equipment to prevent access through gaps in your security.

Did you have any other advice to share? Then share this article via Twitter and let us know your thoughts by tweeting us at @cwcshosting.