Security
If your team starts to work from home, you’re widening your exposure to potential threats. And cracks can quickly appear in your business’s protection. If an employee requires a computer/laptop, especially if they need access to shared networks or data, it is really important they do not use a personal laptop.
Here’s a quick overview of what else should be considered:
- Ensure your employees are using approved devices for work purposes only, especially if you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network, which is the safest way to work remotely)
- Educate employees on device use while at home (not using work devices for game downloads etc)
- Ensure all devices have anti-virus software
- Make sure wi-fi passwords are changed before using home wi-fi for business purposes
- Set up multi factor authentication
Accessing Data
If your employees need to work from home, it’s important that they are able to access everything they need to fulfil their responsibilities.
We advise ensuring all data and files are kept in one secure location that is regularly backed up. SharePoint, part of Office 365 is a great way to save files and access them safely from different locations and devices.
Home Office Setup
If your employees have to work from home because of a Coronavirus emergency, the obvious question to ask is: does your team have the equipment they need to work remotely?
With the majority of office devices being desktop, it’s important to consider sooner rather than later if you need to buy laptops. Especially, as the advice is to provide employees with safe and secure work laptops, should they need to access shared networks and if your business uses a VPN.
You must also consider telephony systems. If your team requires access to an internal phone system, could Microsoft Teams (in Office 365) be a better way to minimise costs if you are already using Office 365. Or do you need to look at other systems and work phones for employees?