By Michael Vizard, Security Boulevard
The fear of a worldwide COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that might shut down entire cities or even geographical regions around the world will confront IT organizations with a remote management challenge many of them are ill-prepared to meet.
Most organizations have deployed some form of remote management software on the systems of employees who travel frequently. However, should hundreds or thousands of workers suddenly need to work from home, many IT teams will be challenged by the need to provision and secure remote access software on hundreds of systems.
In some cases, employees may already have a mobile computing device provided by their company. In other cases, workers who rely on traditional desktop systems will need to be equipped with a mobile computing device that comes provisioned with remote access software or IT teams will need to find a way to install remote access software on the employees’ own systems. That, of course, can become even more challenging if the software needs to be installed remotely by employees who are prevented from coming into the office or only have access to a desktop system at home.
Once all those network connections are made, it then becomes critical to secure them. After all, cybercriminals are not going to be taking the day off simply because a number of employees are now working remotely because of the coronavirus. Many of them are already taking advantage of the crisis to launch any number of phishing attacks, including ones that make bogus claims about coronavirus cures.
In addition, there isn’t likely to be a suspension of compliance rules within highly regulated industries, so the potential fines that might be incurred should sensitive data be mishandled is an issue that will need to be addressed.
If you are finding yourself scrambling to set up remote access for several employees, here’s how Saje Network Systems can help:
VPN access setup
Review access to critical assets by newly remote employees
User awareness training – new phishing and web sites are popping up by the minute regarding Coronavirus cures
Multi-factor authentication - always necessary but even more so for remote users
An extra layer of security is critical when setting up remote access. Don’t make serious errors by rushing through it! Give Saje Network Systems a call to help! 303.909.6247