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Securing a mobile workforce – the new risks

Mobility in the workspace can free up your staff and improve productivity and efficiency. However, it does also come with several new security risks that must be considered. As mobile devices become more common both on a personal and working level, it is crucial to ensure the right training and education for your staff, as well as implementing the appropriate security measures.
workforce

Wi-Fi connectivity

Using mobile devices means your staff are connecting to networks in different locations all the time. This means they could potentially connect to unsecure networks, which could open up your business to risk of data theft or malware. It is important to educate your staff on what makes a network not secure and when it is safe to connect, particularly on BYODs or personal devices they may use for work when necessary.

Data management

These days, many companies choose to house data on a remote server to keep it off devices and away from prying eyes. If the data is never actually stored on the mobile device you avoid duplication and greater risk of the laptop being stolen or penetrated. Again, this is also an area where education is key so make a precedent that your workforce should not work on secure documents in public.

Passwords

Everyone has done it before – simple passwords that make it easier for us to remember and easier for cybercriminals to hack. When choosing a password, there are some rules staff should follow: a mix of capitalisation and lowercase characters, numbers and letters and a length of at least 8 characters. You can use a password manager to help log in to different accounts if you may forget.

Encryption

It sounds a bit futuristic but it can be very beneficial to use encryption. Train your staff to use it with emails and for local data storage to ensure work documents are managed in an encrypted store and kept safe, even if a laptop is stolen.

Monitor, report and improve

The best way to find data security problems and fix them is to monitor and report on the security of your business continually. It is important to take a multi-layered approach to this for the best results.

The right devices

One way to maintain a good degree of control with mobile devices is by purchasing a fleet of products from a reputable brand. By owning the devices, you can have logins and security set up the same way as a desktop computer. But it’s also important to choose the right vendor. This is where our partnership with brands like Lenovo ensures you get the right product for the right job.

Mobility can be a wonderful thing for the modern workforce but it is important to remember the risks associated with roaming devices. Make sure you keep your mobile staff secure, talk to Truis about how we can help.