Work-From-Home Security

As businesses around the state close their doors to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, many companies are continuing to operate with employees working from home.

Working remotely presents new challenges for any team, especially when it comes to security. In order to protect your customers, your employees and your company as work leaves the office, keep these guidelines in mind.

1. Encourage employees to secure their home networks.

Home internet networks don’t usually have the same rigorous security settings as office networks. Remind employees to properly secure their home networks with password protection. Home networks should also have a unique name that doesn’t contain any personally identifying information.

Remind employees that if they connect multiple devices to their home networks, such as streaming services, phones and other family members’ laptops, this could slow down their internet speed during the workday.

2. Don't use business devices for personal activities.

As employees adjust to telecommuting, the lines between work life and home life might start to blur. Employees should avoid using work-issued devices for personal activities like checking social media, watching streaming sites, online banking, or online shopping. To keep sensitive information and passwords secure, employees should only use their personal devices for these activities.

For extra protection, encourage employees to avoid reusing their personal passwords on work accounts and to follow best practices for creating secure passwords.

3. Take extra precautions with confidential information.

If your employees work with sensitive data such as bank account numbers, social security numbers or other identifying details, they should securely store documents in a locked cabinet at the end of each workday. Keep laptops, phones and other work devices password protected, and remember to log off whenever you walk away from your screen.

Sensitive information should only be accessed from a work-issued device—ideally from a secure VPN or a company-approved cloud service, rather than a local device. Review your payroll protocol to see if there are extra security measures your payroll employees should take at home to ensure sensitive information remains safe while processing payments. In addition, make sure there is a documented process for processing ACH and/or Wire Transfers and that all employees involved know and follow the process.