Bring your Own Device (BYOD)
7 Crucial steps to keeping your company data safe on your staff's devices
An Essential Guide On Keeping Your Company’s Data Safe On Your Staff’s Devices
We are currently living in turbulent times. With the government’s advice to work from home, businesses are sending staff home to conduct business from there. Your employees may now be using their own devices to do work for your company. Although this is a great way of ensuring that business can still run, it is vital that your company’s data is kept safe.
Security breaches are still happening, even if the rest of the World seems to be paused right now. Unfortunately, there are cyber criminals out there taking advantage of this whole situation and we have seen a rise in these crimes.
You may think if your team is using their own devices that everything’s all dandy, but in reality, it is vital to ensure that you are cautious and considering the right safety measures for your business. Here is your essential guide to keeping your company’s data safe on your staff’s devices.
1. Passwords.
Passwords are a vital wall of protection. You may be thinking that your team’s devices won’t get lost or stolen as easily currently, but there may still be people in their homes with access. It’s important to ensure passwords are being used for access to any business site, software and even for entry to the devices they are using.
For an added layer of protection, it would be much more secure to enable multi- factor authentication for apps and websites.
2. Who else has access to the device?
It would be wrong to ban a child from using their family device, especially when parents heavily rely on it for peace and quiet, and children for schoolwork or entertainment. We’re not suggesting that we can’t trust the people that live with us, but can we trust that someone won’t accidently click on a suspicious link? This could be a simple mistake, but we need to ensure that mistakes can’t happen.
Think about who has access to your employee’s devices- is it wiser in some cases to provide a company device instead? In this circumstance, you can then give strict instructions that it has to solely be used by them and for business reasons only and gain some level of control.
Through your expert IT service provider, you can also stop unauthorized downloads.
3. Do they have the latest antivirus protection installed?
If your team doesn’t have antivirus protection installed, not only could it be compromised, the device may already have been stealthily hacked without prior knowledge. So once you add your confidential data, it could go straight into the wrong hands.
I would recommend getting your IT professionals to remotely check all devices prior to them being used for business use. They can make sure it is clean, up to date and secure.
4. Are they using the most current operating system?
Did you know that defunct software is unsupported now? Therefore, should an issue arise, you will have no one to turn to. Don’t be a Karen- ensure all your staff have up to date systems and that they upgrade to the latest software.
Also make sure that everyone has updated their devices to rid of the latest bugs and glitches. We all want a smooth run on our devices in these otherwise turbulent times.
Create a log of your staff and what devices they are using alongside the operating system that is running on it. By doing this, you can keep your IT provider up to date should anyone encounter a problem.
Has your IT provider helped with yours and your team’s transition to working from home? If not, let’s chat. We’d love to help any businesses struggling to adjust to the new way of working in these testing times.
0141 255 1617
5. More updates.
Updates may be dull and time consuming, but they are vital to the smooth running of everyone’s systems. So, if an update wants to occur- don’t stop it. Go and bake a cake or go for your daily exercise whilst you wait for it to download and install.
This also applies for installing patches available for your operating system; otherwise your employees could be opening themselves up to cyber criminals, malware and data loss.
6. Which VPN?
A VPN is a Virtual Private Network. You may already be on the ball and have one set up, if not, this is a great safe way for your team to access company data.
You need to ensure your VPN is able to handle your new way of working. This isn’t the type of thing you can use Google for and just go for the first result. Don’t get lazy with your choice of VPN- you will need the very best for your team’s new working circumstances. Have a chat with your IT service provider to ensure you are getting the right fit for your needs.
7. Update your handbook.
With all this extra time on your hands, now is a perfect time to go through your company’s handbook and update it’s policies and regulations on your staff working from home.
Create updates so that everyone knows what’s expected of them and what’s acceptable when it comes to working from home. You don’t want Joe sneaking off to watch copious amounts of Netflix and missing an important deadline.
You will find out over this period of time who you can really trust and rely on in your team. By updating the company handbook, there is no room for excuses like Netflix.
Underline that any potential breach on security should be handled by following the same IT plan, as they would usually do in the office. Make sure everyone knows who to turn to when this occurs.
If you hadn’t already had the time to prepare your team for working from home, now is the best time to create a system that gets the best out of your team.
Has your IT provider helped with yours and your team’s transition to working from home? If not, let’s chat. We’d love to help any businesses struggling to adjust to the new way of working in these testing times.
Has your IT provider helped with yours and your team’s transition to working from home? If not, let’s chat. We’d love to help any businesses struggling to adjust to the new way of working in these testing times.
0141 255 1617
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