An organization’s data is one of the most important assets it has. A company’s data can include customer information, confidential employee data, and intellectual property. Any organization must protect its data, especially when employees work remotely. The following ways have proven effective in data protection.
Creating Data Management Systems
A data management system is essential for a company to protect its data. The system helps the organization track where the data is, how it’s being used, and whether it’s accessible by unauthorized individuals. It also allows the company to monitor all activities related to data security, such as user access privileges and audit trails.
A data management system also ensures better security by ensuring that only authorized people can access sensitive information. For instance, the Meraki Systems Manager aids in the application of various security policies to keep all the organization’s devices secure. Therefore, such systems are crucial to data protection.
Employee Education on Data Security
The first step in protecting your company’s data is to educate all employees on the importance of data security. The more aware they are, the more likely they will act when they see someone mishandling sensitive information. Employees should also know the security measures in place, such as how to handle sensitive information and their course of action in the event of a security breach.
Data security should be a top priority for every organization. Employee education informs them of the risks associated with technology use and how to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. Through such education, the company guarantees that employees do not risk their data while working remotely.
Monitoring Employee Activities
When working remotely, you can monitor your employee’s activities in several ways. In addition to monitoring their internet usage and computer activity, you can also install remote access software on their device. The software allows you to view what they see on the screen, which is useful for preventing phishing and other scams that could result in data insecurity.
A company can use web monitoring tools that track employee activity on the web. These tools enable IT experts to see what sites they visit and how much time they spend on each site. Most security breach cases in organizations originate from the sites employees visit using company computers. Hence, monitoring their activities could prevent a cyber-attack aimed at stealing data.
Data Restrictions
A company can use data restrictions to prevent employees from accessing specific information. Creating a list of approved websites and applications accessible on company computers helps implement the restrictions. These restrictions would prevent phishing scams because users won’t be able to visit malicious sites without going through a security check first.
Also, limiting employee access to certain files and folders would protect the company’s data. These restrictions are possible through permissions settings on file servers and network drives. These tools allow an organization to control who has access to what type of data or resources within their network. In turn, it would prevent unauthorized data access, which could breach the database’s security. Implementing strict password policies is important, so employees cannot easily access sensitive data.
Levels of Remote Access
When employees work remotely, it’s advisable to have control of their devices. In this case, allow access to the most sensitive data to the most controlled devices. For example, if an employee needs to access the database from home, make sure they use a laptop that belongs to the company. If they need to access data while traveling or working remotely on another client’s network, don’t allow them access unless necessary.
The most controlled devices are those that have the highest level of security. Among them is a laptop that has been encrypted and password-protected. Such a device connects to your network, and any suspicious activity becomes easy to detect.
A less-controlled device is an employee’s personal computer that has been used on the company network but is not directly connected. Such a device may not have been encrypted or password-protected. Hence, its security level is much lower than that of a controlled device. Therefore, granting access to sensitive data while the employee is working remotely is not advisable.
Use Virtual Private Network
A VPN is a type of network connection that allows you to access your business network remotely. It uses encryption technology and tunneling, which means that the data being sent and received is protected from prying eyes. A VPN also creates a secure tunnel for all communications between your computer and the server at your office. The tunnel makes it difficult for hackers or anyone who might want to intercept information to access it.
The best part is that you don’t need to install anything on your computer. You can simply sign into the VPN with your credentials and start working remotely. You can also use a VPN to prevent the unauthorized access of sensitive information by an employee working remotely.
Organizations need to protect their data while working remotely. It’s the best way to ensure that the organization’s assets are safe and secure. While there are many ways to protect data, every organization should choose the best that suits its business operations.
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