Since the Covid-19 virus spread throughout the world, companies have determined that the best work method is hybrid work, that is, working from home. After more than a year of the pandemic, employers began to realize that many employees can fulfill their required working hours from home. However, for the method to work, it is necessary to maintain safety and productivity in hybrid work.
However, for employees working from home to be productive and secure, it is extremely important to set daily goals, maintain an organized workspace, and ensure that personal information and confidential company files are not exposed on the internet. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the importance of these two points, as this will lead to greater productivity and guaranteed data security.
How to provide structure and conditions for working from home.
Regardless of whether the employee will be working from home, large companies will be required to provide all the necessary infrastructure, from equipment to remote training on how to protect information.
Below are some tips for providing working conditions that ensure sufficient productivity for employees working from home.
Focus on your work to make your day more productive.
Of course, working from home has its pros and cons. One of the advantages is that employees can work in the comfort of their own homes and not worry about commuting. On the other hand, in some cases, employees may lose focus or time due to distractions such as conversations with friends on mobile apps, television, music, family, or even external noises. Furthermore, internet speed can also have an impact; if it's slow, systems and access may freeze, hindering employee productivity.
How to ensure company data security in a hybrid work environment.
Since working from home became essential, cyberattacks have become more common. This is mainly due to the use of more devices than usual, resulting in an increase in the number of devices used, including cell phones, desktops, laptops, and tablets.
According to Exame , companies have had to combat phishing viruses sent via email five times more often. This number represents a 600% increase compared to normal.
Therefore, employees need to be aware that, with remote work, devices have become more vulnerable. As a result, hackers have an easier time breaking into a device connected to a company terminal.
Furthermore, according to the magazine, the attack is easier, given that 90% of breaches are caused by human error.
What is phishing?
Phishing to defraud a system to obtain private company data, such as usernames, passwords, and even access to banking applications. This method is most often used to hide the identity of the responsible user and gain access to the device.
Beware of phishing attacks.
In the world of technology, it's possible to suffer thousands of powerful attacks. Companies have suffered the most in recent years. In 2017, for example, a cyberattack infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries. Two giant companies suffered attacks, including Telefónica of Spain and Petrobras. At the time, even hospitals in the UK's healthcare system were not spared from hackers.
And unfortunately, it doesn't take much to suffer this type of attack. The viruses are sent by criminals via SMS to the potential victim's cell phone. In most cases, these attackers impersonate companies or people close to the victim.
Upon making contact, these hackers send messages containing links, app downloads, and even personal data. Their sole purpose is to obtain all the victim's information in order to gain various advantages, primarily access to their bank account and thus obtain the available funds.
However, hackers know that to carry out an attack they need to target lay users who don't have much knowledge in the area. Because if they attack knowledgeable and experienced users, such as computer technicians, for example, the intrusion will hardly be successful.
Brazil is the second country most affected by the new wave of hackers.
According to information from Netscout, a provider of application and network performance management products, Brazil was the second country in the world most affected by cyberattacks .
In recent months, Cyrela (Cyre3), a renowned real estate developer in the state of São Paulo, suffered a powerful ransomware – extortion software that can lock a computer and then demand a ransom to unlock it – which affected 439,000 devices nationwide.
How can I stay safe online?
To ensure that work devices are secure and have minimal risk of intrusion, certain criteria must be followed. This will make it more difficult for hackers to access company files.
Below are five tips to help keep devices from becoming vulnerable in a business environment.
Establish connection limits
To keep your computer safe from intruders , it's important that its use be exclusively for work. Conversely, if the device is being used for leisure or research purposes, such as social media, videos, etc., internet security may be at risk.
Another important point is that if an online meeting is taking place or confidential files are being reviewed, the user needs to verify that no one else has access.
Backup
Performing backups is very important, especially on networks that are vulnerable to potential attacks.
It is entirely relevant to choose the option of saving all data and opting to always update systems and software, as updates typically include security improvements.
Furthermore, backing up to more than one important location is crucial. In some cases, one of the devices where the file is stored might fail or become corrupted, so with this second backup, no data will be lost.
Business VPN
Another form of online protection for remote access is the use of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). This technology aims to protect connections between two or more devices connected to the same network. In this way, it makes the connection secure and encrypted.
With a VPN , it's possible to access the computer, even from another location, providing remote access to company data for employees working from home.
Access is granted through authentication, facilitating access control and also serving as a form of protection.
How to use a Business VPN in 5 steps
Using a VPN through your company's connection is very simple. Just follow these five easy steps to activate the encrypted technology.
The first step is to contract a security tool with a company of your choice. After that, the contracted equipment will be sent to the company so that it can be installed and the VPN can be activated to protect the entire network.
In short, installing and starting to use it is very simple; in fact, it's so easy that you don't need any technical knowledge to activate it. Of course, most large companies have a support team, but if you don't, just follow these steps and the installation will be completed.
Upon installation, the enterprise VPN must be activated in the control panel of the previously contracted tool, indicating who is authorized to access the information through the VPN.
Next, you will need to download the VPN software, and then install the tool on all devices that will be used for home office work or any other location outside the business environment.
Generally, to connect, the user will need to enter the login and password registered during installation. Once that's done, you're all set! With a business VPN, protection is guaranteed.
firewall
With the goal of protecting the company's internal network perimeter from potential threats, the firewall selects which data packets will be received and sent. Therefore, it is responsible for verifying whether the transmission of information will be accepted.
In addition to blocking attacks, a firewall aims to control access and monitor the connection between a computer and the internet. It is essential for businesses because it ensures control for optimizing results and security.
In conclusion, it also blocks any movement of dangerous attacks. Thus, it prohibits any manifestation of viruses, so that they do not spread. The firewall can be configured according to the user's wishes, offering greater internet security.
Which business VPN should I use?
It's clear that, regardless of which company already uses a VPN, there's a preference for a particular tool. Even so, in most cases of smaller companies, the network doesn't even have this protection.
Therefore, one of the best tools that guarantees protection is Lumiun's Business VPN . Ideal for bringing employees who are outside the company's office closer together, unifying all these devices connected to the network and ensuring greater security and productivity.
In conclusion, we can say that setting goals, creating a monthly plan, performing backups, always updating systems, and having a VPN connection on company networks are essential for employees to experience increased productivity and greater security for company data.
