Creating a Secure Remote-Work Environment

Flexible work options have become the gold standard in office employment. As world events continue to shape our culture and habits, the ability to work remotely evolves from a luxury to a necessity. Innovations in technology have also made remote access more economical to implement.

When evaluating and implementing remotework policy and technologies, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your organization and customer data stay secure.

Choose the Infrastructure that Fits Your Goals

Most organizations follow one of two paths for remote work accessibility if employees need to access information from the company’s internal network (i.e., not all your business applications and file storage are cloud-based).

Option 1: Virtual Private Network (VPN)

• Access any files or applications as if the employee were sitting in the office
• Better for use strictly on laptops or desktop devices
• Performance can lag behind other options
• Data can be copied or transferred to the employee’s device (higher risk of data leakage)
• If the user’s device is lost or stolen, malicious actors would have unfettered access to your network.

Option 2: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

• More flexible and customizable than other options
• Access only files and applications as curated by the administrator for each user/group
• Can be used on any device
• Faster performance
• Data cannot be copied or transferred from the corporate network to the user’s device
• VDI does not provide unfettered access to the network if a device is lost or stolen.

Create a Written Remote-Work Policy

Once you decide to allow remote access to your files and applications, creating, documenting and enforcing a remote-work policy that includes security, productivity and code-of-conduct guidelines is imperative.

Security

If implemented correctly, providing remote access to files and applications can be just as secure as having your employees physically in the office.