In 2020 the genie was let out of the bottle, so to speak, when the pandemic necessitated the
widespread movement of technology workers to remote work. Working from home was already a
growing trend and the forced closing of businesses and office spaces accelerated the practice to the
degree that now there is no going back. Although many businesses have resumed the requirement to
come into the office, remote work has perks that make it a desirable option for many highly skilled
workers who are specifically seeking jobs that offer this flexibility.

With all of the advantages that remote work provides, however, there are also challenges. Among these
are the difficulties that are associated with maintaining a robust information security program outside of
a closed system. When working at a central location through local area networks (LANs), IT security is
focused on securing perimeters. The sudden shift to remote work relied heavily upon Virtual Private
Networks (VPN’s) to access the existing enterprise networks. This solution, while serving as a temporary
measure, is not a good long-term solution. Instead, businesses and organizations should shift to more
secure cloud-based systems and focus on device security with Mobile Device Management (MDM)
solutions.

The use of VPNs creates new vulnerabilities that are spread across many individual home offices,
leaving systems more susceptible to hackers. Enhanced encryption methods, such as a Layer Two
Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), are helpful as well as a good security and antivirus software. Employees also
play an important role in securing these networks. They must ensure that their personal wireless routers
and firewalls have appropriate security, use two-factor authentication, and maintain regularly updated,
strong passwords.

Companies and organizations should procure and maintain a centralized storage solution or cloud with
strong security. It is important that processes are in place for workers to store files in this service rather
than locally. This avoids important information being compromised or lost if local files are not backed-up.

There are many other smaller considerations to take into account when facilitating the transition to
remote work for your employees. Although these considerations may seem relatively minor, serious
security breaches often result from small, easily avoided failures in security protocols. Adequate training
should be conducted to educate staff on phishing, protecting webcams, security during online meetings,
and the importance of disconnecting from the work environment during personal device use.

Businesses and organizations often feel overwhelmed when making sure that all of these security bases
are covered. That is where Asteros cybersecurity services can help. Our comprehensive service provides
you with a strong information security solution, customized to meet your particular needs. We even
offer employee training. To get started, take advantage of our free, no-strings-attached surface audit.