Is Your Data Safe in a Remote Working Environment?

Is your data safe in a remote working environment? This is the question that most of us are probably not sure about. In this article, we tackle how you can ensure the safety of your data even in a remote working environment. 

With the new normal pushing businesses to implement remote work arrangements, it’s more important today than ever to start thinking about securing your data even while working remotely.

Wi-Fi Threats

In a remote working environment, having a stable internet connection is important, but here in our country, a stable internet connection is rare, according to a report by Data Reportal, median download speeds of mobile data and fixed internet connections are 22.04 mbps and 81.42 mbps respectively. It sounds fast but in reality, in the speedtest global index we are ranked 89 in the world for Mobile internet speeds and ranked 92 in the world for fixed internet speeds. With that reason, sometimes, people will be forced to find other wi-fi connections even though it’s risky.

If you happen to stumble upon a public wi-fi connection (note that this is not advisable especially when handling sensitive company information) here are some things that you can do to minimize the risks when connecting to a public network:

• Be Cautious: always be in the look out for possible threats in a public Wi-Fi connection because it is very insecure.
• Be Suspicious of All Wi-Fi Links: not all of the links to a Wi-Fi connection are legitimate, some of those may be setup by cyber criminals waiting for unsuspecting victims to steal their data and extract sensitive personal information.
• Avoid Sensitive Websites: it’s never a good idea to log in to your social media accounts, online shopping accounts and your banking accounts. These websites store your sensitive personal information including your credit card information! Cyber criminals are just waiting for unsuspecting victims unknowingly sharing their private information by logging on to these sites on a public Wi-Fi connection.
• Consider Using Your Mobile Hotspot: If you are unsure and you want a safer internet connection, just use your mobile data and activate it’s mobile hotspot/tethering option and you can connect to that. Ensure that you have a strong password set to make sure that others can’t connect. In this modern age, Globe has developed stronger and faster connections!
• Install a VPN: When you have no choice but to connect to a public Wi-Fi network, always use your VPN (Virtual Private Network). By using a VPN, it ensures that your connection to the internet is secure, all of your data traffic is routed via an encrypted tunnel. A VPN also allows you to disguise your IP address making your location invisible to everyone.You can check out VPN options here!

Secure Your Devices

The technology in our world today has produced a number of cutting edge devices, some of these are your work laptops, mobile phones, tablets and many more! These are tools that are essential in a remote working environment, we ask the same question, is your data safe in a remote working environment?

Here are some things you can do to secure your devices and protect sensitive company data:

• Install an Antivirus Software: Antivirus or malware protection can be overlooked most of the time by people because they have to spend money in order to install one. But to protect your data, having antivirus software is essential. An antivirus software protects your computers from attacks or any unwanted malware from damaging your computers. You can check out a couple of antivirus options here.
• Use Strong Passwords: Whether you are using your personal laptop or company laptop, having a strong and secure password will ensure that your data won’t be accessed by someone unauthorized. Don’t use passwords that are easily guessed like your birthday or the place where you live, etc. Having strong and secure passwords will be at your best interest.
• Avoid Sharing Your Work Computer: Human error is a very common thing in our world, to avoid having to face this problem, do not share your work computer with anyone. The one you share your work computer with can accidentally delete files or worse, email confidential information to others.

Train Your Employees

Having knowledgeable and trained employees regarding data privacy and protection is not optional anymore, appointing a Data Protection Officer is mandated by the Designation of Data Protection Officers. In our time of age and with the new normal pushing rapid digitization in the Philippines, data protection is more important than ever!

Now ask yourself the question, is your data safe in a remote working environment? Ensure your data privacy protection by having your employees attend training, webinars, and other valuable learning materials. 

We’ve recently discussed how you can ensure your data privacy in a remote work environment in a recent episode of Sprout HR Experts Season 5! You may watch it here.

Here at Sprout we value data privacy and protection and we have world-class data security! For more information about how Sprout can help you and your company’s goals, click here.

Cheers!