The pandemic of 2020 has led to a vast number of workers being taken out of the regular office and being placed at home for work instead, distanced from their normal working conditions and what they are used to. Many companies responded well to this new working format, though others have not yet done everything they need to in order to keep themselves and their workers safe when accessing the business’ resources remotely. But what should they be doing? Detailed below is a brief account of how you can protect your employees in the new remote world of 2022.
Creating Secure Remote Access Infrastructure
Most offices are fantastic spaces set up to optimize working conditions and allow employees access to everything they need quickly and efficiently, this is what has allowed people to work so well in offices for so long. However, with so many people suddenly having to work remotely, it’s become increasingly obvious that many places lack the basic necessary infrastructure to keep those remote workers safe. Files set up in a physical server at the office may have no protection for those sending or receiving data from it, leaving them vulnerable to all kinds of interception attacks, eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. Your company needs to develop the correct infrastructure in order to be able to cope with the new influx of traffic from all kinds of different networks.
Have monitoring software such as a secure web gateway. What is a secure web gateway? It’s a piece of software that prevents unauthorized traffic from entering your organization’s network, keeping it safe from external threats. It can monitor incoming and outgoing traffic to stop certain sites from being reached, sites which could prove to be malicious or to be sending dangerous data packets into the network. Moving all files into a single cloud location would also help keep your company’s network safe, as you can very meticulously monitor who has access and what to. This will protect your files and the remote workers as no one with malicious intent will be able to access the network.
Creating a Comprehensive Remote Working Policy
A vital part of keeping your remote workers safe is making sure that they understand what is expected of them from their end around matters such as cybersecurity. Companies should lay out in no uncertain terms what employees are expected to do in terms of their own security on their devices. It should explain who has access to what files and sections of the network, where they should be attempting to access the company network from, what they should do if they suspect something has gone wrong and more. The more detail the better in this policy as not all employees are tech savvy and may need a greater explanation. Helping employees audit their devices is also a good starting point to help ensure that they are not starting with any glaring security fault and are also able to use their machine the way they will need to for the job.
Promoting a Healthy Environment for Coaching
Another crucial piece of the puzzle is how well you can teach your remote team to get the job done. It’s an age where people are more than happy to have their employees work from the comfort of their homes, but what about on-boarding? If the range of your scope is to get as many employees as possible from as many locations as possible, it’s crucial to take into account just how you intend to train your new hires. The initial training is important, but what’s more crucial is how you intend to coach your team throughout their career with your company.
One of the best ways to promote a healthy environment for coaching would be to get the most skilled members of your team to regularly coach new hires. In exchange for adequate compensation, most people are happy to take the role of a coach. While it’s fantastic for new hires, it’s also a good way to help your remote team bond with each other. Given enough time, you could have a large team filled with experienced employees willing to give it their all.
In today’s digital world, learning how to keep your remote team together is all about the finer details. For example, if you intend to hire people from all over, consider the different time zones that come with the territory. Learning how to make changes based on time zones and planning coaching sessions between those with similar business hours can make all the difference. There’s also the prospect of software programs that can help ease the burden and ensure your remote team gets the job done. Part of protecting your team also involves making things easier to handle. There’s no reason to overburden your employees when you can get better results by working smart.
As business slowly turns to more remote working, it’s important that companies focus on the safety of not only their networks, but also their employees. This guide should have given you a head start in keeping your employees safe when working remotely.
