Even before the pandemic, the number of workers “commuting” from home was rising. Now, about 90 percent of remote workers say that they don’t want to go back to the office full time, even when the CDC gives the “all clear” signal on the pandemic. What this means for many companies is a permanent shift in how business is conducted, rather than the temporary one we all expected at this time last year!
Of course, we know something else has been rising at this time: Cyber criminals are taking advantage of the disruptions to how we live and work, and have ramped up their efforts to steal data and infect networks. We know that our data is only as safe as the networks used to access it, and that raises some big questions as your employees log into work accounts from home.
Since remote work is probably here to stay, at least for many of us, we all need to be asking some serious questions about the security of employees’ home internet connections. If you haven’t already taken these steps, don’t delay any longer.
Educate your employees. Remind them to never use the default password that came with their browsers. Set up a unique, hard-to-guess password, and change it regularly just as you do others.
Use a secure network. Typically, many homeowners are using WPA2-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 Pre-Shared Key) networks. It’s protected by a single password which is shared by all users and devices on that network. While a complex password is certainly helpful, there are even more ways to ensure that a home network is secure. We can help with this.
Consider a VPN. A virtual private network can ensure that no one else can view your employees’ internet activity.
If you have questions about establishing secure networks outside of the office, give us a call at 888-RING-MY-TECH. We can walk you through all of the options available to you, and identify methods that complement the way you and your employees work.
