How to Update Your Remote Access Policy – And Why You Should Now

Remote Access Policies

Man working on papers sitting next to his laptop

Activity from cybercriminals is at an all-time high. Data security has been compromised at several well-known companies. As a result, information has been stolen or been put up for ransom.

Some of these happened during the COVID pandemic of 2020. Employees had to move to remote access to get to their work records. If the company didn’t have proper remote work security enabled, cybercriminals were easily able to get into the business’ systems.

Your company might have been subject to one of these attacks over the last few months. While your cybersecurity team enhanced protections at the network side of things they might have not done much for remote access. This means the company’s data security is still compromised.

This needs to be changed immediately, especially if your company remains in a remote work situation. Here’s how to update work from home policies.

Multifactor Authentication

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is one of the simplest ways to increase cybersecurity. The advantage it has over other forms of protection is the way a second level of security is delivered. Normally, it’s handled by a numeric code sent to a user’s smart device. To hack into the system, cybercriminals would need to be in possession of the device.

VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) must be the only way employees can remote work. Without it, hackers can easily get into a user’s personal device and enter the company’s network. Especially if the device they use lacks proper security.

VPN can be combined with MFA to truly minimize the way users access internal systems. It also requires a piece of software like Cisco AnyConnect so the device is properly authenticated into the company’s network.

Company-Owned Devices

In general, employees should never be able to access a company network from their personal devices. There are too many factors to consider, and any one of them can be an entry for cybercriminals.

Instead, your organization needs to invest in laptops and smart devices that are configured in-house. This does two things. First, it copies the proper programs and security protocols to each piece of equipment. Second, the configurations can limit access to the dark web and other locations where black-hats can get into a user’s technology.

As more companies move toward a digital workplace, data security will become even more critical. By implementing protective changes right now, your organization can be prepared for a smoother transition than it would have without planning.

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