Working from home poses various risks to your company, your data and  livelihood. Although your employees may have the best of intentions, establishing a Work-From-Home Policy reduces these risks by providing them a clear set of guidelines and procedures.

You should consult with an IT expert, along with your HR attorney, to develop your Work-From-Home Policy. It should include these items, at a minimum:

  • How remote workers are approved.
  • What physical security measures are necessary for at-home workspaces.
  • Requirements for maintaining online security, such as passwords and cloud file-sharing.
  • Use of a VPN to connect to company networks.
  • Acceptable use of company devices.
  • Procedure for reporting incidents.

Create your own Remote Work Agreement and Guidelines using these Templates:
Click HERE To Download: Telecommuting-Employee-Agreement

▪ Employee Agreement Template to outline the rules for your employees when working from home.
▪ Employee Equipment Issue Agreement to outline the rules of use and maintenance for any computer equipment, cell phones, PDAs, laptops, printers, etc. that are issued to the employee working remote.

Work From Home Tips:

When employees work from home, they need access to important company files. It’s easy to look at consumer-grade cloud file-sharing solutions like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive. But listen up!

These applications pose a huge threat to your company because company data can be spread far and wide without central oversight of what information is being shared with whom. Further, over 7 MILLION Dropbox accounts have been hacked, giving cybercriminals a path into the company’s network.

This is even MORE important if your company has access to and/or stores financial, medical or other sensitive data. Using file-sharing applications like these are a clear and direct violation of data breach and compliance laws. DON’T USE THEM FOR COMPANY DATA and use only company-approved, business-grade file-sharing applications.

Most of your employees have wireless networks set up in their homes. Unlike with your business WiFi, many home users are lax about creating secure wireless networks – leaving a back door open to hackers. WiFi signals often broadcast far beyond your employees’ homes and out into the streets. Drive-by hacking is popular among cybercriminals today.

A few tips for securing your employees’ WiFi access points:

  • Use stronger encryption and a more complex password.
  • Hide your wireless network name.
  • Use a firewall.

These security measures are not difficult to set up. If you have any questions or need assistance, we will be happy to help get your employees set up remotely.

We expect a rise in cyber-attacks during this pandemic because of the dramatic increase of employees working from home. Far too many employers won’t think about security as their team starts working at the kitchen table. That’s a dangerous precedent.

First, make sure your employees are not using their home computers or devices when working. Second, ensure your work-at-home computers have a firewall that’s turned on. Finally, your network and data are not truly secure unless your employees utilize a VPN (virtual private network).

It’s easy to become a little more relaxed when working from the comfort of your living room or home office. Surfing over to Facebook, other social media or even personal e-mail accounts can be very tempting.

But the ONLY thing you should use your company’s workstation or laptop for is…WORK! Check your personal accounts on YOUR personal device. Over 600,000 Facebook accounts are hacked every day. If you’re using a company device to access a compromised account, you’re opening up a door to a hacker who can then get into your company’s network via your e-mail or PC.

The greatest threats to your company and its data come from hackers and cybercriminals. It’s just as important, however, to ensure the physical security of your devices while working from home.

Implement these recommendations:

  • Shut down your device and store it in a secure place before leaving your home for any reason.
  • Lock your computer when you step away from it. This is especially important if you have children or other family members around.

Place your work devices out of sight at the end of the day. Not only does it keep them from being stolen, it helps you maintain work-life balance.