Due to the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations today face a completely new set of challenges and issues. Most companies that had to adapt to the remote work framework were not structured in a way to manage it. As a result, they failed to survive and thrive.
Most companies just could not transition to remote work as they couldn’t manage to set virtual parameters for safety and security. One of the biggest concerns for a business looking to transition to remote work is controlling and monitoring the data access, which they have to provide to workers at their homes.
To counter this problem, companies need to start from scratch when dealing with safety protocols. Integrating new systems in this case can be essential for a business that is looking to transition to a new work model.
Nonetheless, you can also find other ways to protect the integrity of your organization’s network. Another step an organization must prioritize is an asynchronous communication model. This model allows the management to communicate with the teams, and employees to communicate with each other without live calling.
A cloud-based communication model is a good example of this, as it streamlines conversations and all data exchanges using different platforms such as video, audio and messages.
Training Employees
Other challenges when transitioning to remote work involves training employees to stay productive and efficient when managing tasks in a home setting.
This can be tough because employees and workers find it difficult to balance their work life with their home life, and the latter tends to intervene with the former.
Maintaining a proper balance can be difficult and organizations must train their workers to do so. Other challenges arise in the form of cyber security threats. Since workers now have remote access to the company’s data centers, this makes the system vulnerable to different threats and malware.
Many hackers and virtual exploiters are edging closer to take advantage of compromised networks thanks to the remote work obligatory transitions of organizations. In this instance, you not only have to review security parameters and introduce a compatible disaster recovery plan, but also provide a rundown to each of the worker.
This will require IT managers to offer proper cyber security training to their remote workforce. This training can touch on the subjects of all risks that come with working from home. If you regularize these classes, then this will be even more impactful.
Securing Home Networks
Since you will be allowing access of your data centers to home networks, the best practice in terms of security would be to secure their home networks. There are many ways in which an individual can safeguard their home network from malicious and exploitative intrusions and hackers.
The first thing that employees can address is the router configuration. Many routers come with insecure configurations. Updating the router name and password to more secure alternatives is a step in the right direction. Other name changes can occur in the SSID configuration.
Some routers also come with a WPS, or Wi-Fi protected setup. This is a feature that allows you to easily connect wireless devices to your network. Turning this feature off removes the risk of anyone having physical access to your home network.
Another way of securing you home network is by scheduling your Wi-Fi. This means enabling your Wi-Fi network at only certain times of the day. For many people, this may not be very practical, especially if they own plenty of devices in the house.
However, for employees that work with confidential information, they can resort to a separate network and have it turned off once they finish their work shift. Turning off your Wi-Fi when you do not use it makes the network inaccessible most times of the day.
Turn On Firewall
Firewall is essentially a filter that blocks unauthorized network access. While doing this, it still allows safe network traffic to flow through. Even though the firewall may not guarantee protection, but it certainly minimizes the risks of intrusions. If you want to know more about similar protective measures for home networks, visit Prescient’s website, or contact them for advanced solutions.
