9 golden rules for data protection in the home office

Working from home is a big topic right now. Due to the current situation, many employees had to move their workplace to a home office from one day to the next. The move had to happen quickly, and for most companies – understandably – the first priority was to ensure that employees could work reasonably efficiently from home: The necessary equipment for employees in the home office (in the form of laptops, external monitors, know-how) and for the company’s IT infrastructure (cloud-based data storage, programs and tools for decentralized work, etc.) had to be “pulled out of the ground”, sometimes at record speed.

9 GOLDEN RULES FOR SAFE WORK IN THE HOME OFFICE

1. Protect private computers with strong passwords.

If your employees work on their private computer at home, and it is therefore used by several family members, we recommend setting up additional user accounts and protecting them with strong passwords. It would be even better to use a separate computer per user.

2. Install antivirus and update it regularly.

There are numerous security solutions on the Internet, both free and paid. The Swiss Federal Reporting and Analysis Center for Information Assurance (MELANI), for example, recommends a wide range of antivirus software for computers and mobile devices. However, the best virus protection only helps if it is also up-to-date and continuously checked. Therefore, remember about regular updates!

3. Continuous update management.

In order to be protected against the latest hacking methods, operating systems and installed applications must be up-to-date in addition to virus protection. Closing known security gaps with hotfixes and security updates, which are usually available on a monthly basis, contributes significantly to good protection against malware. Devices and applications can often be configured to automatically perform such updates. Here, too, it is advisable to check this continuously.

4. Rethink business continuity management (BCM).

In order to safeguard your business against crises and external factors and to ensure ongoing operations, you need a functioning business continuity management (BCM) system, which is closely linked to risk management and IT contingency planning for good reason. Of course, in the worst case scenario, the proverbial baby has already fallen into the well in the current situation. But even if that’s the case for you: try to learn from the crisis. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses in unpredictable situations, e.g. through an IT health check, and emerge stronger from the crisis.

5. Secure access data.

1. 1. 1. Through strong passwords and multifactor authentication:
         Better protect your accounts by using strong passwords and intelligent, behavior-based multifactor authentication instead of simple passwords. Be sure to create unique passwords for all your accounts.
      2. Through single sign-on: modern, browser-based applications support logging in with the same identity as in your company, thus additionally increasing security and user comfort
      3. Behavior-based detection can be used to identify “identity leaks” at an early stage.

6. Provide digital tools with “Built-in-Security” for collaboration.

 

Internal and external communication, online meetings and video conferencing are an important issue in the home office, but unfortunately also one of the biggest risk factors. Many providers have enormous data protection gaps, which is why the Zoom video conferencing tool recently caused a stir. There are enormous privacy and security concerns, both from the outside and from Zoom.

However, this can also be done better and safer. Microsoft Teams is currently the front-runner in terms of data protection and reliability. The seamless integration of all Office applications also allows for additional security settings so that you and your employees can work together absolutely securely, even in the home office.

7. Establish transparent rules, especially in the area of data protection.

Formulate clear rules in your company regarding the home office in general and data protection in particular when employees work at home. Five to ten “Golden Rules for Safe Home Office Work” are memorable and can be easily implemented by all employees.

8. Sensitization of employees in the area of IT security.

In order to implement such rules and identify potential threats, your employees must be sensitized and trained on data protection, cybersecurity and possible dangers. With online training, this is now also possible in the home office.

9. Have data protection measures checked by a competent IT security partner.

To ensure that a quickly cobbled-together cybersecurity really does offer protection and doesn’t open up new security leaks instead, your security infrastructure should have been inspected by specialists at least once. This way you will be well-equipped against attacks in the future.

We’ll be happy to help you implement and/or review these 9 tips. Contact us now for a no-obligation consultation.