Keep it Safe: A Guide to Cybersecurity in a Virtual Office

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unimaginable mayhem in too many ways but in one way it opened up a world of opportunities. Remote working has become a norm with a vast set of organisations across the globe since the healthcare pandemic. This has created more borderless jobs for individuals and has helped businesses save costs on office space, infrastructure etc.

However, like all good things, Remote or Virtual Offices come with their own share of challenges. The foremost of these concerns is related to cybersecurity.

As more and more companies transition to virtual offices, prioritising cybersecurity is vital. With employees accessing company data, emails and networks from their homes, the risk of cyber-attacks and ransomware attacks increases dramatically.

In this blog, we explore how your cybersecurity strategy can be fine tuned to ensure the safety of the virtual offices.

Here are some basic tips that you can implement today. They’ll help ensure that despite the remote working option, your organisational endpoint security stays intact.

1. Establish security policies

Establishing sound cyber security policies is the first step in maintaining cybersecurity in a virtual office. An effective cyber security policy should include guidelines for password complexity, network security, and device management. Companies should also provide employees with a virtual address. A Virtual Office Address Service can go a long way in helping to keep all business information secure in hybrid or remote working situations.

Ensure that all employees know these cyber policies and understand the importance of following them. Consider providing regular cybersecurity training sessions or reminders to reinforce the importance of cybersecurity.

If you think your cybersecurity policies and procedures may not be up-to-date or fit-for-purpose, consider hiring Virtual Cybersecurity Specialists through services like the Virtual Cyber Assistant.

In the most cost-effective and flexible format possible, these experts can help you review and refresh your cybersecurity plans and processes to make sure they’re actually helpful in case of a real cyber crisis.

2. Use secure networks

Another critical aspect of cybersecurity is using strong passwords. Encourage employees to use unique passwords for each account they access and avoid using common words or phrases that hackers could easily guess.

Consider implementing two-factor authentication for added security. Two-factor authentication requires users to enter a code sent via text message or email in addition to their password when logging into an account.

3. Use strong passwords

4. Keep software up-to-date

Keeping software up-to-date is crucial for maintaining cybersecurity in a virtual office. Make sure all devices that employees use have the latest security patches installed, including operating systems, web browsers, and antivirus software.

Set up automatic updates whenever possible so employees don’t have to manually check for updates.

5. Limit access to sensitive data

To reduce the risk of data breaches, limit access to sensitive data only to those who need it. Regularly review permissions and revoke access for any employee who no longer needs it.

Remember that privileged credentials are amongst the top ways in which organisations regularly get hacked or hit by phishing attacks or brute force attacks. It is therefore very important to ensure the sanctity of privileged logins and passwords.

Consider using encryption software on devices containing sensitive information so that even if they’re lost or stolen, no one can access the data without proper authorisation.