A major concern and risk of small and medium sized companies is securing their employees working outside the office. A company’s sensitive data, including financial, healthcare, and client records can be at great risk.
With over 35 million people working remotely in the US—currently making up 23% of the workforce—many employees traveling for work, and many employees working while away on vacation, your business could benefit from recommendations on how to secure your distributed workers and protect your critical data. These recommendations include implementing layered security such as encrypted endpoint VPNs, multi-factor authentication, endpoint management, detect and response protection, and adhering to compliance best practices. Get the scoop below.
Devices, Tools and Awareness
Your employees working outside the office face many risks.
- Unsecured internet connections and devices lacking security monitoring and management tools.
- Employees lacking cybersecurity awareness to stay safe are more susceptible to phishing scams, malware, and ransomware.
- PCs lacking adequate storage risk computer crashes and lost data, greatly impacting productivity.
- PCs lacking critical security, performance updates, and patches impact performance and put them at heightened risk of being compromised.
For more productivity tools and management strategies, register here for Productivity Anywhere: Tools to Keep You on Track.
Distributed Workers Are Targets for Cybercriminals
The number of employees accessing corporate networks from different locations and devices is expected to grow by 25% over the next 5 years, so cybercriminals continue to expand their attacks.
Employees working remotely, often referred to as a distributed workforce, have become a top target of cybercriminals. Companies must understand these risks and implement more robust cybersecurity strategies and solutions to protect their company data and maintain operational integrity.
A Layered Security Approach: 4 Key Components
We recommend a layered security approach including encrypted VPNs for endpoints, multi-factor authentication, 24/7 endpoint protection that includes manage, detect & response capabilities, and compliance best practices.
- Encrypted Endpoint VPN
Most employees who are working outside the office use their personal devices for work tasks, putting the corporate network at risk. Endpoint VPNs enhance remote work security by creating encrypted tunnels for data transmission, protecting against breaches and cyber threats. They are crucial for maintaining the integrity of corporate networks and safeguarding sensitive information in remote work environments. - Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Traditional passwords are no longer secure enough to protect against cyber criminals stealing credentials and accessing the corporate data. According to Microsoft, MFA blocks 99.9% of account compromise incidents. MFA enables secure remote access to company networks, allowing employees to work safely from home, while traveling, or anywhere. MFA requires two or more forms of identity verification before access is granted, making it much less likely for cyber criminals to obtain illegal access. MFA helps ensure compliance with many regulations and protects businesses from potential legal fees and fines. - Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)/Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) and MDR (Managed Detection and Response) have become crucial components of modern cybersecurity strategies for businesses to stay safe. EDR solutions continuously monitor end user devices 24/7 detecting and responding to ransomware and malware. EDR provides advanced threat protection, investigation and response capabilities, alert triage, threat hunting, and containment, providing advanced security measures.MDR provides 24/7 access to security experts using advanced threat defense tools who proactively detect and respond to threats and differentiate false threats from real threats, remediating the qualified incidents. MDR helps companies fill security gaps and helps them become more secure, vigilant, and resilient. - Why Compliance is Important
According to the Knowledge Academy, compliance enhances your reputation and helps establish trust with your customers and stakeholders. Compliance helps reduce both legal and financial risks and improves operational efficiency. Companies that focus on compliance have higher employee satisfaction and retention, see increased business growth, and are more competitive than their peers.Compliance should be part of your mission plan: ensuring you comply with the laws and regulations greatly reduces the risk of threats, fines, loss of revenue, and a damaged reputation among your clients and prospects. Compliance remains critical for your distributed employees, ensuring secure remote access and protecting your critical data while maintaining the integrity and trust of your overall business.
How We Can Secure Your Distributed Workforce
We have provided secure and optimized network infrastructure to clients across many industries, securing and supporting their distributed employees. We understand the importance of cybersecurity, compliance, and an optimized infrastructure for your business. As experts in these areas, we are here to help you navigate the complexities and ensure your business remains current, secure, compliant, and efficient.
We Are the Experts
- Cybersecurity: Protecting your company using a layered security posture including advanced security measures such as VPNs, multi-factor authentication (MFA), endpoint detection and response (EDR), and managed detection and response (MDR).
- Compliance: We ensure our clients meet regulatory requirements by mitigating risks and improving their operational efficiency. We have extensive experience with highly regulated clients requiring strict risk and compliance requirements.
- Infrastructure Optimization: Whether you are migrating from on-premise hardware to the cloud or upgrading existing infrastructure and PC hardware, our team of experts will plan and deliver a seamless user experience, minimizing downtime while enhancing performance, security, and employee productivity no matter where your team is working.
- Tailored Solutions: Our team of professionals will work closely with you to develop customized strategies that meet your specific needs. Client IT Infrastructure requirements and needs often differ. We design an efficient and optimized solution that fits both your needs and budget.
- Ongoing Support: We provide continuous support, proactive monitoring, security, and remediation to ensure your systems and your entire workforce remain secure, compliant and productive.
Not sure where your vulnerabilities lie? Our Business Audit gives you a clear picture of your current security posture, including gaps in remote worker protection, compliance readiness, and endpoint security.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
