How to keep your data safe when working remotely

The lockdown has had a severe impact on most businesses. Companies across the country have had to move most of their workforce offsite and look to remote working to get the job done.

While working from home lets business continue their operations, it does expose them to severe security risks. Maintaining security measures is critical at this time and should be the responsibility of both the employer and employee.

Here are some tips to keep data secure when working remotely.

Policy Management 

Make sure all employees know that data security is important. 

It should be second nature; however, some employees can still be ignorant to the importance of data security on a personal and professional level.

Any policy document that you create should highlight the reason behind having a policy and give details of the various security measures that employees must comply with as well as how the company will help employees abide by the policy.

Electronic Document Management System

An electronic document management system or cloud-based management platform is important to ensuring data protection.

Advanced electronic document management software (EDMS) provides effective document management solutions. This technology can manage data capturing, document scanning, and the retrieval of records from the comfort of your home.

Don’t trust public or unknown Wi-Fi

Don’t be tempted to use unknown Wi-Fi connections while you’re working offsite. 

Rather consider using your phone’s personal hotspot. Hackers may try to trick you into using network with a similar name to whatever public hotspot you may be connected to. 

Try using a hotspot that’s protected by strong passwords as they provide better protection than public wireless internet.

If you are forced to use public Wi-Fi, double-check to make sure you are on the right network at all times. 

Physical security

Think about asset geo-location capabilities and remote wiping functionality that you can implement on all devices.

If you’re on the move, consider investing in a turtle case. 

Turtle cases are permanent storage and transport cases for computer backup tapes and other storage media. These cases can be locked and perfect for your business needs, making records management and electronic document management easy, secure and safe.

Protect files with complex passwords

Using a complex password is one of the easiest ways to protect your data. 

Remember to update your passwords regularly and use a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and special characters. 

No business should overlook the importance of security measures, especially when employees are working remotely. Have a plan in place for your data security, invest in products that are meant to make data protection easier, and implement document management systems that effectively manage your data.