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Learn how complete IT services, including managed security support mobile workforces. Look at tech security policies for businesses with mobile workers. Â
Around the world, 70% of people work remotely at least once a week, and over half of the world’s workforce telecommutes for over half the week. As 89% of businesses believe flexible work environments foster growth, this trend is likely to continue.
A mobile workforce provides a significant number of benefits, but mobility also brings in a new set of security risks and challenges. To minimize these risks and secure your business’s IT environment, you need a company that offers complete IT management, including managed security services.
The right security policies, coupled with an expert IT management team, help support a mobile workforce in the following ways.
Unfortunately, businesses often overlook security on some electronic devices, which creates vulnerability in the network. For example, the Russian cyber espionage group Fancy Bear took advantage of this practice by targeting printers.
Most executives don’t even think of the vulnerability of printers or other peripherals, and as a result, the attackers were able to gain access using default passwords. Once they were in, they infiltrated other areas of the network and laddered up to more sensitive data.
When you work with a company that provides security services, their tech team ensures all your devices have the latest security updates. Whether you’re dealing with on- or off-site devices, these professionals handle software and firmware updates, and they take a proactive approach by constantly researching the latest threats against all devices.
To protect your mobile workforce, you need a multi-pronged approach to security. When you hire an IT company that offers complete IT management, it can facilitate organization-wide device awareness. This ensures you don’t overlook security on devices that don’t seem that important, such as printers, as well as devices used off-site.
At the same time, IT professionals also focus on employee education. A lot of breaches start by an employee downloading malicious attachments or following dangerous links. To secure your enterprise, your employees need to understand risks and the best security practices.
When mobile workers are using their phones or laptops, they tend to have both personal and business data on these devices. Containerization creates a line between the user’s personal and business data. If a hacker obtains the device, they may be able to access the user’s personal information, but they need a PIN, password, or biometric info to access your enterprise’s data. You can set up the security so that if an intruder tries to penetrate the hardware layer, the device automatically locks and denies access.
Most mobile workers connect to cloud-based applications through their own devices. This set-up allows employees to use programs and access data just as they can while in the office, but it also presents a new set of security risks. To protect your data, you need an IT services firm that can help you set up an encrypted SSL tunnel to a virtual private network (VPN) on a firewall or explore other security options based on your situation.
Over time your business’s needs change, and your mobile workforce may also vary. As more people go mobile, bring on new devices, access different types of software, and go through other shifts, you need your security efforts and policies to keep pace. By working with a company that offers comprehensive IT solutions, you can rest assured that they can address your constantly changing needs. They can also scale up as your business grows, and your mobile workforce expands.
Want to let your workforce go mobile? Need better security for your existing mobile workforce? Then, contact us today.
At Radius Executive IT Solutions, we provide complete and reliable IT solutions to businesses throughout the Boston area, including managed IT services, strategic consulting, cloud services, and hosted applications. We also offer IT security services focused on business continuity, email security, vulnerability assessments, and wireless networking.
