Are you thinking about hiring remote workers to help you handle your day-to-day business tasks?
If so, it’s essential to ensure your information remains safe and secure while they’re working from the other side of the world, no matter where they’re located or what time of day it is.
Follow these eight easy tips to protect your network and keep cybercriminals at bay.
1. Make Your Password Complex
Use a password manager to generate a random password with upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. It should be longer than eight characters. Change your passwords at least every six months!
Ensure you have remote workers who can take over if something happens to one of your employees.
If they are not already trained in cybersecurity, consider training them before hiring them, so they are prepared to start working for you. You can hire remotely but maintain control over their work through virtual private networks (VPNs).
It will allow remote workers to send files back and forth between themselves and others without having any personal data compromised in transit.
2. Don’t Click on Links from Unknown Emails.
Malicious software known as ransomware is often delivered via email, and while it may look authentic, they’re not. Hackers send out millions of emails to catch a few people who will click on a link or attachment.
These are then directed back to servers where they can steal your information, use it however they want, or even charge you money every week until you pay them to stop!
To make remote workers aware of the cybersecurity environment, ensure everyone receives security awareness training about why and how you should never click on a suspicious link or open an email from someone whose identity cannot be verified.
Consider running regular phishing simulations so employees know what could happen if they click that link.
3. Update All Software Regularly
While it may seem like a pain, you are updating all your software regularly is one of the best ways to maintain strong cybersecurity. If you wait until you think you need an update, it’s likely too late, and you could be vulnerable.
Even if you don’t think your information has been compromised, hackers are good at keeping malware under wraps until they know people will use it before launching a cyberattack. The easiest way to make sure that never happens.
You are regularly updated! The process should take less than five minutes and ensure you can always run on up-to-date software that’s safer and easier on your hardware.
4. Realize the Importance of SSL Certificates
Here we are NOT TALKING ABOUT FIREWALLS OR ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE when we mention that digital security is essential for remote workers.
There are more sophisticated ways of securing your digital property, but there are also cheap and effective ways of protecting your valuable intellectual property from prying eyes.
One easy way is to buy a low priced or cheap SSL certificate and install it on your website, and make sure all web browsers use that specific certificate. If a potential hacker or thief can’t see a login page or connection to an internal network, they will look elsewhere.
Installing an SSL certificate makes it practical for small businesses (especially those with remote employees) to quickly implement HTTPS technology throughout their entire operation.
5. Use 2-Factor Authentication (2FA)
When you have remote workers, you must implement 2FA on their devices. If a remote worker has access to your network and doesn’t use 2FA, they can wreak havoc.
You don’t want someone entering commands on your network thinking they’re a legitimate user—and you don’t want them gaining access to your servers or other sensitive areas of your network.
Two-factor authentication has an extra layer of security when employees work remotely by requiring them to provide two pieces of information: something they know (like a password) and something they have (such as an app).
This means even if malicious actors gain access through one layer of security, there is another level for them to get through before accessing sensitive information.
6. Limit Access Only to Necessary People
It is essential that only those with an actual need access company files. It can be accomplished by setting up clear guidelines and sharing documents through an encrypted connection.
Please get your entire team on board before making any changes, but everyone must stick to them once they’re in place! Every time someone logs into an account, they should have a specific purpose. If they don’t, they should log out immediately after viewing what they need.
7. Keep Software Updated
Always keep your software, especially antivirus programs, up-to-date. This is one of those obvious cybersecurity measures, but you’d be surprised how many users don’t do it.
Check your system and make sure you’re using updated versions of all security software. Update when prompted or at least every two weeks. After all, cybercriminals are constantly making new attacks, and so are we!
8. Install Antivirus & Firewall
Installing a good antivirus and firewall software package will help you protect your company from threats. There are many free security packages available but remember that there is no free lunch.
A free antivirus program may provide fewer features or protection than its paid counterparts, so be sure to do your research. Remember that installing one of these apps on your employees’ devices can be tricky.
If they’re not already set up correctly on their home computers before bringing them into work, it can create problems and cause productivity issues.
Conclusion
Remote work during pandemics has brought many cyber security challenges for which companies were not prepared. Hackers during this period have taken advantage of this situation and made many peoples and organizations victims.
It is necessary to provide cyber security training to remote workers and guide them on how to behave when they face any suspicious email, URL, or other stuff.
