In many ways, remote employees fall outside the realm of your company's IT protection. Even if they're using company laptops, they're likely connecting to home networks and using personal printers. The truth is that remote employees are in tech danger--and here's what managed IT services experts have to say on the matter.
Seeing Clearly with Managed IT Services
The goal of managed IT services is to help companies get a better view of their tech environment. For this reason, experts in the managed IT field have a lot of experience comparing on-site and remote tech setups--and what they've found might be alarming.
Here are three reasons remote employees are in tech danger:
#1: They feel too safe.
A remote work environment makes employees feel safe because, in many other ways, they are. However, by connecting to home printers and networks, they actually put company data at risk. Personal setups aren't often as secure as those found in companies, so encourage employees to use a virtual private network (VPN) and print remotely using on-site printers.
#2: They're using familiar passwords.
When working from home, employees may fall into bad habits--like using the same passwords they use for everything else. Make sure passwords are phrases instead of single words, don't use any easily identifiable information like address or date, and have never been used elsewhere.
#3: Company protections aren't reaching them.
You work hard to protect your tech--but when an employee works from home, they can't benefit from that protection. That's why it's critical to design a cybersecurity approach that defends data from anywhere. This doesn't just support remote workers; it also allows employees to do work in the field or on the go without compromising your company's security.
Conclusion
Although remote employees face different challenges than on-site workers, they're in the most trouble when it comes to their tech. Luckily, managed IT services experts have the insight necessary to compare on-site and remote setups and identify weaknesses in both.
Want help with your own setup? Contact us today for tailored tech advice.