Systems

Adapting to trends. Bracing for change.

Growth of the

Remote Workforce

Network

Security

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Adapting to trends. Bracing for change.

The way to overcome the immediate sense of panic that sets in during any disruption is to have a system already in place to stabilize operations.

The COVID-19 crisis accelerated the rise of the remote workforce movement. Small businesses will want to address the following issues sooner rather than later.

Growth of the Remote Workforce

You should understand how employees will access your data and systems when working remotely. Secure options available include:

Remote desktop protocol (RDP) over a virtual private network (VPN)
Stream connect
Screen viewer: Of course, you need someone who knows how to set up your system properly and monitor it.

Less secure options are also available, but be careful what you choose.
It’s important to determine the kind and level of access your employees need, whether this is a web server access with no restrictions, restrictions to specific files and folders only, the ability to download and edit files, ability to reupload files, or ability to view files only. Also, know how employees will access your systems (i.e., personal laptop vs. company device).
Constantly monitor potential issues in your network whether they are remote or internal.
Employee training on best safe practices and policies are equally essential.

Network Security

Anyone accessing your network remotely is coming in from somewhere, introducing risk. This means that software and network updates are important to keep up to date. This includes firmware updates and equipment that needs to be replaced.

Passwords don’t need to be changed as often as previously thought, but need to be more complex. This includes password character length and use of special required characters.

Vendors sometimes need access to push updates or monitor systems on your behalf. However, don’t allow unmonitored access to your system. You can provide access for a limited time and then remove after the job is done.

It’s highly important to train your employees on what to watch for. Threats are creative, and not always easy to recognize or prevent. A few rules of thumb to teach: If you don’t know who sent it, don’t open it. And watch for odd misspellings, mismatched email addresses.

Terminate old accounts that are no longer in use.

Lastly, protect financial transactions. An increasing number of spoofed transactions have occurred, and email codes are becoming compromised. It is crucial to require verbal cues before transactions are authorized.

Network Security

Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks are becoming more frequent. No one is immune to ransomware attacks no matter how careful they are. Cyber insurance policies can be complicated and tricky. There are multiple variants of cyber insurance. They may be included in your liability policy, but read the terms carefully for loopholes. Understand how it interacts with other policies you hold, and requirements it puts in place (anti-virus, monitoring, etc).

Staying on the Same Page

Shared systems can make it easier for employees to convert quickly to remote work. You need to practice it so everyone knows how to implement it. Everyone needs to be using the same systems, such as Slack, Asana, Zoom, Office 365, and so on. Provide regular company training on your preferred system.

The systems we recommend are Office365 and Microsoft Teams.

Resource

Access the Small Business Resiliency Playbook for additional steps and more detailed advice on executing your crisis plan.