What You Must Do to Add Remote Access to Your Business Continuity Plan

As businesses across the country are learning in the wake of COVID-19 quarantines, your business continuity plan must include provisions for remote employee access!  As companies scramble to accommodate a workforce that is now working from home, it’s vital to ensure this is done safely and securely.  You need to be able to maintain business operations while  also  protecting your systems , your data, and your employees from any sort of intrusion.

The exact specifics of a business continuity plan will vary from operation to operation, but these are the most important steps in the process of implementing remote access.

1. Assume the worst

If hackers got into your data, what’s the worst that could happen?  Consider the scenario, and work from there.  Your security and remote-access plans must assume hostile threats will occur, and that they will be targeted at your most vulnerable weak points.

1. Develop written policies

Before anything gets implemented, have a strong written policy outlining what will be implemented, how, and what it will accomplish.  These policies should consider current government regulations as well and, if possible, look towards the future of regulation.

1. Put your remote access servers at your network perimeter

It’s a bad idea to have workers logging directly into your main servers.  If their machines become compromised, hackers will have an open door.  Put the remote-access machines on the perimeter, with more lines of security between them and the central servers, for safety.

1. Secure remote access devices

Your employee’s machines need to be secure as well.  This may mean having mandatory secure software they run when logging in, or it could mean distributing company-owned devices that are already configured.  Either way, employee-side security is every bit as important as server-side security.

1. Utilize strong encryption and authentication

When it comes to remote access, it’s hard to be  too  safe.  You should be using the strongest authentication and data encryption policies available.  If it’s at all possible, company data on your employee devices should be encrypted so that it could not be accessed if the device was stolen.  Take every possible precaution here; remote access is inherently a bit riskier than on-site access.

Let Our Team at CyberTech 360 Assist

Need help?  Cybertech 360 is here to help!  We focus on helping businesses develop strong security and business continuity plans.  If you aren’t sure if your security is up to snuff, click here for a free cyber-security assessment !

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