Systems Engineering director Mark Benton warns companies of possible data security risks linked to employees working from home.
The flu pandemic affected millions of businesses around the globe and opened a new way of conducting business virtually. With no establishments open to the public, companies allow employees to do their work at home.
According to the cybersecurity expert Benton, this set up calls for stricter measures to protect significant credentials and data. Critical information from companies can be easily hacked without second-authentication methods, therefore, employees need to be careful.
By adding multi-factor authentication or MFA, businesses can enhance security and let authorized people control or access confidential data. MFA requires an additional pin number or facial recognition to add another layer of protection.
Because there are office technologies that aren’t available for work-from-home setup, companies can seek cybersecurity experts to crosscheck systems. Shadow IT is a common issue that can store files in apps and other devices.
Without precaution in shadow IT, companies can lose control of data and exposes itself to the web. “Organizations need policies that set clear expectations around using office technologies and data,” said Benton.
Company-Managed Cloud
Storing files and documents in-home PC isn’t recommended because a single malware can corrupt everything. Benton said that companies must provide a company-managed storage system or virtual desktop service.
“The best scenario and experience for your employees is to provide them with computers owned and managed by the company. Managed means the device identity is known, regular security updates are applied, and anti-virus is up-to-date and running,” said Benton.
The cybersecurity expert believes following these rules can lessen the risks of a data breach. The company’s IT team or department can create a server dedicated to a lot of operations including storing information, reporting, and others.
With precaution and excellent servers and networks in place, there would be no threat to security. MFA is also a good solution to live and move within the cloud with absolute security. According to Benton, this solution is proven to prevent 99 percent of attacks via compromised data.
Benton also reminded organizations to update security and acceptable use policies to give employees ‘clear expectations’ of handling sensitive data or information.
“These policies include guidance on which files they can share with external parties or prohibit downloading the coolest looking app to the environment,” said Benton.
