Are You Confident Your Remote Workforce is Securely Connected to Your Network?
The coronavirus pandemic surprised employers throughout the world, who scrambled to deploy remote working solutions. Keep your staff connected and secure with solutions you can trust.
If you are rapidly looking for options to help scale your remote work capabilities, you are not alone. Millions of organizations that have staff whose jobs can be performed remotely are offering this option at an unprecedented rate as America goes into full-on lockdown mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. Securing your enterprise data and applications has never been more critical, as you have staff working on personal computers and mobile devices that may not have the recommended levels of protection that you would like. Hopefully, you have already deployed cloud-based solutions for data storage and business applications and are simply working through Virtual Private Networks (VPN) solutions and how to provide productivity software to your staff. Whatever your level of readiness, here are suggestions on tackling the key issues facing IT departments in this rapidly evolving environment of remote work.
Scaling Secure Access Solutions
Considered the "great experiment" by some, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented demand for technical solutions to support the 29% of Americans with positions that allow for remote work. Many companies have been nibbling around the edges of providing remote work solutions, but only a small percentage actively promoted this option to a wide swath of their staff members. Microsoft is one of the many software manufacturers issuing guidance and recommendations for companies that find themselves braving the waters of remote work. Some of Microsoft's key recommendations include:
- Take advantage of the six-month free "premium" access to Microsoft Teams -- collaboration software for secure chat and conferencing
- Remotely provision software using Active Directory with secure single-sign-on to reduce the possibility of users clicking infected links
- Provide proactive cybersecurity training and ongoing reminders to staff that hackers are taking full advantage of the current confusion
- Many software companies are providing free or reduced-cost access to their applications to help small businesses stay afloat during the economic downturn
- Review current security standards to ensure they fully cover individuals that are working from home
- Resist the urge to allow any users to bypass security controls, such as multi-factor access or single-sign-on solutions
What's most important to note is that short-term workarounds are extremely dangerous, as they can lead to added complexities, greater confusion and myriad loopholes in your security over time.
Trusted Solutions from a Premier Dallas IT Company
If your team is struggling to pull together a secure suite of remote work solutions and get them deployed to staff members, there are local resources available to help keep your company's IT infrastructure operational. It is important to be wary of individuals that are offering this type of service, as the demand can quickly overwhelm smaller IT service providers or individual contractors that are not prepared for the high volume of questions and support needed during this critical time. Working with an organization that has many years of experience in your community and offers a range of solutions to fit the unique needs of your business will help ensure that your company survives the challenging times ahead.
As the #1 IT services and support provider in the Dallas area, DataMagic Computer Services is always looking for options that will reduce risks for your company. Our highly-trained and qualified IT experts will help walk you through the proactive support recommendations that will protect your remote staff members as well as reduce pressure on internal IT staff members. With over 25 years of experience supporting Dallas organizations of all sizes, DataMagic experts always ensure that your IT infrastructure fully supports the needs of your business. Contact our team at (469) 635-5500 to take advantage of your complimentary initial consultation or learn more about the range of services that we offer online.
