Best Practices for Establishing Secure Remote Workplace for Your Employees
Tags: remotework, cybersecurity, workfromhome
Published: 2023-03-16 10:44:01

**Security should be a priority in remote workplaces. Wondering how to keep your employees’ remote work secure? Find out in this article.**


Working remotely has been commonplace for most business owners and employees, especially during the pandemic. With quarantine restrictions in place, many companies had to switch to a remote work setting. It was an unsettling change for many, and the huge concern was how to maintain security when employees work remotely.

Adapting to a remote work setting when you’re used to working at a physical office is a constant learning process. But the sometimes unpredictable nature of the internet leads to serious concerns about security controls and cyberattacks. According to a recent study by OpenVPN, 90% of IT professionals believe remote workers aren’t secure.

Fortunately, there are ways to ensure that your employees’ remote workplace is secure. Check these 6 working from home security best practices:

## **1. Separating Work and Personal Devices**

Just like in a normal office setting, your employees should have a separate personal and work device-laptops or mobile phones. Personal activities, such as online shopping, browsing social media, or searching for the [best online degrees](https://research.com/degrees/online-degrees) to get, are common risks for cybersecurity issues. When you use a business device for personal browsing, it exposes confidential data and information, and the same is true when you perform business tasks on a personal device.

If you’re unsure about the initial investment of buying business devices for your employees, you can also think about [renting those devices](https://mietly.io/en/renting-hardware/) first. These days, there are a lot of companies renting out hardware. This way, you’ll also have a decent support and always somebody to talk to if there are any issues.

Other advantages of having a separate work and personal device include:

- Establishing a good work-life balance

- Helping your employees get into the right mindset and increasing productivity

- Maintaining the company’s and employees’ rights to privacy

- Implementing stronger loyalty to the company


## **2. Creating Secure Passwords**

Few people realize it, but passwords are the initial line of defense regarding remote workplace safety. When setting up passwords, make sure they’re secure. Here are tips for creating a strong password:

- Your password should be at least 12 characters long.

- Don’t create a password that contains a familiar keyboard path.

- Set up a unique password for each account you have.

- Use a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters, special symbols, and numbers.

- Make sure your passwords aren’t based on personal information, such as your initials and birthday.

Some people keep a record of their passwords through digital or printed notes for easy account recovery. However, these notes may be accessible to other people and even app hackers. P[asswords can be costly](https://mojoauth.com/blog/passwords-are-costly/), and just as making sure your passwords are secure, you should also ensure that your record of passwords is kept in a safe place.

## **3. Providing Sufficient Knowledge and Information**

Many employees want to practice secure remote working but don’t have an idea of what this entails. As revealed by a [Kaspersky survey](https://usa.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2020_kaspersky-research-finds-73-of-employees-have-not-received-remote-working-cybersecurity-guidance), 73% of employees have claimed to not receive remote working cybersecurity guidance. At the very least, you should provide your employees with working knowledge on remote workplace safety.

It can be done through:

- Mandatory seminars

- Cybersecurity training

- Informational graphics

- Setting up and communicating remote work security policies

By informing your employees about cybersecurity, they’d be able to distinguish phishing from a regular business email. They’d also be aware of how to avoid ransomware attacks and what to do if your company is subject to it. Moreover, when your employees work in public places, they’d know how to prevent malware from getting in through public ports.

## **4. Securing Back Ups**

Modern computers are highly reliable when it comes to data storage. However, you shouldn’t be too confident with important data and work-related files. Backing up your work projects and documents is necessary to recover them in case of device malfunctions, data corruption, and hardware or software failure.

You can back up and store your data on:

- USB sticks

- Time machines

- Cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive)

- External hard drives

- Network-attached storage

If anything, you may print your important documents and keep them in file cabinets. However, it can be hard to manage and might be impossible for certain file types like audio and videos.

## **5. Discouraging the Use of Public Wi-Fis**

A public internet connection may seem convenient and cost-saving for your employees, but it might end up costing you more (as the employer). Employees might want to work in coffee shops and other public places where wi-fi is shared, but this might compromise the integrity of your files and networks.

As an employer, you should advise your employees to avoid public wi-fi as much as possible. If your budget allows for it, you can provide an allowance for a monthly internet connection or mobile data package. You may also encourage the use of an Encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN).

## **6. Investing in Good Security Software**

Last but not least on our work from home security checklist is investing in good security software. Doing so ensures that your employees’ remote devices are safe from any malware or malicious activity. Some of the best software systems you can use for effective remote working are:

- Endpoint security software (ESET Endpoint Security, Trend Micro, McAfee Enterprise)

- Collaboration software (Slack, Trello, Microsoft Teams)

- Time tracking software (Time Doctor, Clockify, Toggl Track)

- Video conferencing software (Google Meet, Zoom Meetings, RingCentral Video)

- Task management software (TeamWork, Asana, ProofHub)

- [Passwordless authentication system
](https://mojoauth.com/blog/mojoauth-passwordless-authentication/)
If you can, purchase the premium versions of your chosen software for increased productivity, security, and efficiency. You should also run regular software tests to identify problem areas within your company’s framework.

## **Establish a Secure Remote Workplace Now**

As mentioned above, security is the bloodline of remote working. However, most employers don’t know how to establish a secure remote workplace for their employees. Start by following the remote work security best practices above. After all, a business’ success comes from safe transactions, effective collaboration, and mindful browsing.