Small Biz Cybersecurity for Remote Workers

Working from home is a great perk for small business employees and owners. It cuts down on the need to rent a large office space and sometimes even makes buying office supplies or machinery unnecessary. However, an elephant is in the room: cybersecurity essentials for remote workers in small businesses. Cybersecurity affects everyone, even if you are not in the trade of making or dealing with sensitive products.

Do You Think You Have Nothing to Lose? Think Again!

You may not think you have much at stake if a cyber attack targets your business; however, think deeper than just your IT equipment and superficial data. When your cybersecurity fails, hackers could gain access to your customers' names, their financial information, and more. Customer data keeps your brand alive, and having it compromised can cause buyers to back away and seek out other sellers.

Similarly, hackers might gain access to intellectual property such as manufacturing processes, business plans, product design specs, and anything else that sets you apart from the competition. If this information got out, you may not have the legal protection you need to prevent others from using the data and building their own businesses with this information. These are just a few reasons why cybersecurity essentials for remote workers in small businesses must be top of mind.

Collaborating with Remote Workers on Cyber Security Issues

You may not care that others in the household see what your remote employee is working on. That said, it is easy to forget about security risks when working from home. We have found five easy policies to implement that could spell the difference between a work environment protecting sensitive information and one that leaves your sensitive data vulnerable to attacks.

1. Control Online Access with User Accounts

Each remote worker (and you) must have a unique user account to access your company's network. It is the first line of defense against anyone trying to snoop around your data. Make multi-factor authentication mandatory.

2. Train Employees to Recognize Security Threats

You trust these employees to work remotely, but do you know whether they will recognize security risks such as phishing scams at home? Emphasize the importance of strong passwords, explain how hackers gain access to individuals' computers, and how to set up a firewall.

3. Invest in Anti-Virus Software

Most reputable companies offer beefy software packages with ongoing updates to add another layer of security to computers. Tiered pricing makes these packages affordable to micro, small, and mid-sized businesses.

4. Limit Employee Access to Data

If your word processing or blogging freelancer does not need to access customer data, limit their access accordingly. It cuts down on the possibility of data breaches because you restrict access. Moreover, if your data does become compromised, it makes it easier to keep the problem contained. 

5. Customer Payment Data Requires Special Handling

Your customers are not worried about your security strategy as long as their data is not compromised. This is one instance where you should pay for the latest security measures. Most experts agree that your payment systems should be standalone systems without being plugged into the overall network data you use. 

Dealing with Employee Pushback

Working from home only sometimes means using a well-secured WiFi network. For some, it involves public networks at coffee shops, universities, and other locations offering patrons free online access. While working from home is a huge incentive, some workers want to avoid being managed regarding where they do the work.

However, you must uphold it here. 

1. Secure, private WiFi. The coffee shop is not a good place for your workers to assemble reports. Instead, request that they work at home or a location with a secured private WiFi connection. If all else fails, have them use a personal hotspot instead of public WiFi.
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2. Encryption. Use encrypted email services, messaging applications, and video conferencing platforms.
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3. Ad blockers. Did you know that some malware is hidden in links from ads that your workers might encounter? Blocking ads reduces this threat.
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4. Ongoing training. Share the latest information on phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and social engineering with your employees. Hackers do not operate in a static environment; they consistently change and improve in response to software updates and user education.

The Physical Aspects of Cyber Security

It is interesting to note that some cybersecurity essentials for remote workers in small businesses have everything to do with work habits. For example, train your workers to protect your business by not leaving laptops and similar devices in the car where others can get to them. Even walking away for just one minute from a computer at the park can result in stolen personal devices without needing to log in.

Another physical aspect of cyber security is the use of random thumb drives. Unless your worker took it out of a new package and is sure about its provenance, it is better not to use it. No layer of security or enabled multi-factor authentication (MFA) will protect your data if a hacker gains access to software uploaded through a planted thumb drive.

Moreover, remember to back up your data every day. It sounds like a hassle, so why not back it up on weekends? An uncorrupted copy of your data is critical if there is a problem. If you only back up on weekends and the break occurs on a Thursday evening, you will lose about a week's worth of transactions and data. Backups keep your business running while you deal with the cyber attack. Most importantly, it will not make you as susceptible to ransomware attacks. 

Our team helps all types of small businesses grow with access to a search engine listings manager and expert digital marketing. Do not leave success and security to chance. Call us today to learn more!