Data Security For Your Home Workers
Keeping your company data safe in the hands of home workers
Whilst we are all trying to get people working from home as quickly as possible to minimise disruption and damage to our businesses, don’t overlook the importance of data security.
In recent issues we’ve spoke at length about data security – here is a recap of the key areas to prioritise for your home workers:
MDM – KEEPING DATA SAFE ON MOBILES
Sending sensitive and valuable company date over unsecure personal email or mobile is not advisable and would contravene your legal responsibility about protecting customer data under the GDPR legislation.
Our advice is to equip your employees with budget smartphones with a rolling SIM only contract and invest in a cloud-based Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution. This allows you to manage your workforce’s access to information and also to be able to wipe company data if you think any beach has been made. These can be deployed quickly and easily onto existing or new contracts for just a few pounds per user per month.
To read more on MDM please click here
SWITCH ON PASSWORD PROTECTION
A suitably complex PIN or password (opposed to a simple one that can be easily guessed or gleaned from your social media profiles) will prevent the average criminal from accessing your phone. Many devices now include fingerprint recognition to lock your device, without the need for a password. However, these features are not always enabled ‘out of the box’, so you should always check they have been switched on. Make sure you implement and monitor a secure password policy and change them regularly.
KEEP YOUR DEVICE UP TO DATE
No matter what phones or tablets your business is using, it is important that they are kept up to date at all times. We often avoid this as we perceive that certain things will change and be unfamiliar, however 90% of the time these changes aren’t visible but are working hard behind the scenes to protect you. All manufacturers (for example Windows, Android, iOS) release regular updates that contain critical security updates to keep the device protected. This process is quick, easy, and free; devices should be set to automatically update, where possible. Make sure any staff know how important these updates are, and explain how to do it, if necessary. Don’t put it off!
KEEP YOUR APPS UP TO DATE
Just like the operating systems on your organisation’s devices, all the applications that you have installed should also be updated regularly with patches from the software developers. These updates will not only add new features, but they will also patch any security holes that have been discovered. Make sure staff know when updates are ready, how to install them, and that it’s important to do so straight away.