The ability to work remotely is a powerful tool. With it, companies across the globe have been able to maintain operations even if their teams can’t be in close proximity to one another. In such situations, employees tend to buy necessary office equipment with the support of their employer in order to continue working with the same efficiency. But, while there are a number of ways to connect remote workers back to the company, there are some security concerns that you should be aware of before doing so.
Let’s talk about one of the most common options – using Virtual Private Networking (VPN). For the VPN to work well, you’ll need a high-speed internet connection such as those offered by at&t internet providers. When data is traversing the public internet, it is possible for hackers to “see” some of those information packets and read your information. To protect the data that travels over the internet, you can encrypt your data at the source and then decrypt it at the destination, making any “sniffing” of the data by a hacker unreadable. This ensures that the data being transmitted from site A (home) to Site B (office), is very well protected. However, to invest in a good VPN service, you would have to scourge the internet for valid information about different providers like norton vpn reviews or others in the same domain.
The security challenge comes when the computer being used from the home is not protected by your company’s security protocols. For example, let’s say that Bob’s office is now closed and he and his fellow employees are required to work from home. The company sends out some instructions to Bob on how to connect to the company VPN. However, Bob’s home computer is also used by wife and his teenage daughter and son for homework, gaming and who knows what else. Since it’s not setup with the same security protocols as the office systems, if that home unit is infected, it now has a direct link to the office systems.
A best practice with regard to remote connectivity is to avoid VPN and use a secure remote desktop-type utility. In this instance, the company has no consistent access to the home system and can’t manage and monitor the system’s anti-virus or other security applications. Systems like GoToMyPc, Remote PC, or Teamviewer simply allow connectivity to a PC back at the office that presumably is managed and monitored by the company’s IT support firm. In this case, the home unit is just facilitating keystrokes and screen changes, so regardless of the infection level of that home system, malicious software (MalWare) cannot be unknowingly transmitted to the business systems.
Remote Control Access
Employees’ remote connectivity is critical to many organizations’ survival during this unprecedented time.
Ensure that you have adequate access control systems (the Fortinet website offers detailed information about this) in place so that you don’t compromise the security of your client’s information and the company’s systems for the sake of convenience. Hackers are out there and ready to pounce on any security lapses they can find, but with some key knowledge and proper planning, you can achieve remote connectivity and maintain security best practices.
If you have any questions about working remotely during COVID-19 (or any other time, for that matter), please do not hesitate to contact our team.
Authored by Donald Nokes
As President of NetCenergy, Don Nokes is responsible for ensuring client satisfaction, and overseeing company performance and direction. Prior to co-founding the firm with Dan Charland in 2003, Don held senior leadership positions with IT service firms ranging in size from $3 Billion to $10 Million in annual sales.
Nick Eckman joined NetCenergy in 2016 from an international gaming company. Nick’s experience with supervising and implementing secure, fiber and copper wire infrastructure services provides our clients with a team of highly trained and experienced technicians. In addition to the skills required to manage our infrastructure services department, Nick brings a very experienced and focused approach to project management and is a stickler for accurate documentation for every project designed and built by his team.
Peter Lachapelle joined NetCenergy in 2015 and is responsible for leading all of NetCenergy’s operations and accounting functions. Each department within NetCenergy reports through Lachapelle. He brings his years of experience to maintain a pragmatic, efficient, client-focused team at NetCenergy. Lachapelle joined NetCenergy after completing a 27-year career with a Rhode Island, federally-charted bank which culminated in his senior management position as COO and CFO for the bank.
Peter Nelson has 25+ years of technology and management experience and has been with NetCenergy since inception. Peter serves as the VP of Engineering at NetCenergy. His role consists of managing the engineering staff, driving the companies technology strategy, and ensuring NetCenergy keeps up to date on new technologies and solutions.
As a Founding Partner, Dan is a result oriented individual who is always focusing on what is best for his client. He understands that business applications empower an organization and that technology must support those critical business applications. Dan’s technology career started in 1990 at EMC Corporation. Through the years, he has represented technology and consulting services for several organizations until 2003, when he and Don Nokes founded NetCenergy.
With decades of hands-on HR experience, Margery Ahearn is our Director of Human Resources, overseeing all hiring of new positions for NetCenergy with a careful eye on sourcing technology savvy engineers and skilled office-based professionals who fit our company culture, understand our commitment to our clients, and bring their time and talents to our team. Margery has both a BA and MBA in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.