Protect Operations with Proactive Remote Work Strategies

Protect Operations with Proactive Remote Work Strategies

The coronavirus pandemic is severely impacting business operations around the world, causing companies to shift to a remote work strategy to survive. Here’s what you need to know to keep your company safe.  

In a world where our daily life is being significantly constrained and where upheavals are becoming the norm, cybercriminals are actively looking for opportunities to sow confusion and take advantage of security lapses within your organization. With schools closed for weeks at a time and businesses shuttering their doors and encouraging social distancing, millions of Canadians suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves working from home in a variety of scenarios. This causes a significant strain on overworked IT departments that are attempting to support a workforce that has shifted dramatically and may not have the right technology in place or the necessary training to work from a remote location securely. From ensuring that all staff members are using company-approved devices to access your sensitive business applications and information to reduce the possibility of a business email compromise (BEC) attack, technology teams are scrambling to put guidelines in place that will help ensure safe operations in the short-term and into the unknown future.

Helping Remote Workers Stay Productive

If your company was already fully-versed in using Microsoft Office 365 and cloud-based document storage, then your team is quite fortunate. Cloud technology has been securely driving corporate productivity for some time, but the widespread demand for these solutions has taxed even the robust infrastructure of Microsoft and other cloud providers. The good news is that deploying Microsoft Office 365 technology to remote workers is more convenient than ever before. However, there are still some challenges in ensuring that your solutions are correctly configured for the tightest possible security. Without the necessary in-house expertise, many companies are turning to trusted IT service providers to fill the knowledge gap and provide quick alternatives to traditional onsite working solutions. This can help workers maintain high levels of productivity regardless of their physical location, allowing companies to continue serving customers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Maintaining an Intense Security Focus

Creating a proactive focus on security is one of the top recommendations from Toronto IT managed service providers. When your staff members are fully aware of the potential risks associated with email attacks, fraudulent SMS messages and robocalls then they are better equipped to manage through the challenges ahead. Here are a few of the ways that cybercriminals are actively targeting businesses throughout the country:

• Public health scams abound, as hackers send emails and SMS text messages that appear to be from valid government entities. Encourage staff members to delete any suspicious messages and report them to IT professionals. Any pertinent information should be released on key government websites or directly from trusted media outlets.
• Create a policy requiring individuals that are accessing work-related information or business applications to do so from a secure computer or mobile device. This should include a device with firewalls and virtual private network (VPN) installed and fully operational.
• Business scam emails that appear to be from trusted vendors, contractors or even other staff members that are asking for quick money transfers or other unexpected requests should be viewed with the utmost suspicion and verified via live voice conversation.
• Communicate how your IT department and any service providers will be communicating with staff. One new version of cybercrime involves hackers posing as your IT department and asking for personal information, which is then used to infiltrate your organization’s sensitive data structures.

Protecting your organization in the face of COVID-19 still bears a remarkable resemblance to the everyday challenges faced by companies around the world: cybersecurity, protection of personal and confidential information and protecting staff productivity. What is dramatically different is the need for companies to deploy new solutions in a non-traditional method: to employees that are in a social distancing situation and working with limited resources within your IT teams. When you need support pulling together a cohesive protection strategy for your business or rolling out new remote work solutions, contact the professionals at Sysoft at 416-410-7268. Our team of experts provides managed IT services for Toronto organizations of all sizes, helping create the secure, reliable and extensible IT infrastructure that your company needs to improve operational efficiencies and enhance revenue opportunities.