All LinkedIn Articles are posted by Victor J. Quinones, Jr., CEO, Chairman, and Co-Founder at Virtual-Q. Original article posted here.
Remote work was gaining popularity before 2020, but COVID-19 brought it into the mainstream. Though some organizations began bringing their workforces back to the office, many adopted a hybrid work structure with flexible hours and more work-from-home days. Now, as the delta variant of the coronavirus causes business leaders to rethink the return to the office, at least for now, it seems remote work is here to stay.
Luckily, many organizations have found that operating remotely can be just as productive or more productive than traditional work environments—with the right tools. In fact, some employees prefer it, which leads to increased worker well-being.
However, given all the benefits, it’s important to realize that cybersecurity must be elevated to confront the challenges of working remotely. With many employees working on likely unsecured home networks, now isn’t the time to get lax on security. An outsourced IT provider like Virtual- Q can help.
The following list is far from comprehensive, but includes tools and strategies businesses can use that dramatically improve efficiency and security.
Security With Efficiency
Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be a trade-off with productivity. With the large adjustment remote work can bring, the transition has to be made as easy as possible.
Virtual Private Network
A virtual private network (VPN) is a way of accessing the internet or internal servers while shielding the actual network someone is on. Users simply need to log in to their VPN and then work as normal. Yes, this does mean one more thing to log in to, but your team won’t even notice the difference once connected. If someone infects the home network of the user, the VPN will keep sensitive work information secure.
Microsoft Teams
There are several communication platforms organizations can use to keep their employees connected, host meetings, and more. One of the best is Microsoft Teams. Teams can integrate directly with the rest of the Office 365 platform, meaning your employees’ existing profiles and settings are all maintained.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication is a secure login method that prevents most hackers from accessing your systems. Instead of just using a password, a system equipped with multi-factor authentication will require more information. Often, this takes the form of a code sent to a trusted device. This way, the password (one factor) and the code (a second factor) combine to verify that the right person is trying to access a system.
The Q Desktop
One of the foundational pieces of The Q Managed Services approach is analyzing and optimizing server and desktop utilization. Our virtual desktop services enable remote workers to operate as if they are in the office, or have the same experience as working in the office—from anywhere, on any workstation—all while maintaining security.
The Q Desktop solution ensures maximum uptime, scalability, and performance. So, instead of leaving security up to each individual employee, we embed cutting-edge security right into our tools to mitigate risk across your organization.
The Q Remote Helpdesk
Making the transition to a remote work structure for your employees can seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be. At Virtual-Q, our team can implement the right tools for your particular organization and integrate them with existing processes.
Plus, whenever your team needs support, we’re always there to assist with our remote help desk. Are you struggling to make your organization secure? Or, maybe you just want some peace of mind? Contact Virtual-Q and together we will develop and deploy a network you can rely on. Let’s get started.
