One lesson the pandemic taught us is that remote working is not going anywhere. Companies were already gradually moving in that direction and the pandemic rapidly pushed the idea into reality. However, while remote work has shown many benefits, such as happier and often more productive employees, it also has a major downfall.
With the emergency switch to remote work, companies’ IT departments did not have the time or the ability to strategize and implement the proper technologies to safely and effectively handle remote employees. Many used whatever quick fixes were on hand for the time being, but with the necessity of remote work lasting longer than anyone anticipated and the reality of employees permanently or partially working from home after the pandemic, businesses need to ensure that their technology can support this shift long-term.
Accessing Data Securely & Safely
Your employees need to access data securely and easily. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure way for your employees to have the freedom they need to do their job while ensuring that it is done safely.
Through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with no VPN, employees have the ability to click on potentially harmful links, accidentally download malware, or visit illicit sites that will harm the company. A VPN is your company’s own private network that has an industrial firewall to protect information coming in and going out of the network, rather than the mediocre protections of most home users. Data is encrypted before being sent to websites and decrypted upon return, so all of your employees’ activities are secure. VPNs are helpful for small or large companies that need more security and control of employees and how they use internet access for work.
Cloud computing is another means of accessing data and keeping it secure. Employees can easily reach information they need on secure servers from anywhere they are working. You can use multiple points of authentication to ensure that sensitive information stays within your company.
You can also utilize the cloud for housing large projects that teams are working on, running large calculations across multiple machines, sending and receiving large amounts of data, and to back up computers so valuable information is never lost. For a company to work seamlessly, employees must be able to attain information they need from a central, secure location to complete a job in minimal time and with ease.
Communication
Cloud-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is an important piece of a successful remote workforce. It enables employees to access their office phones from anywhere, send instant messages, forward calls to cell phones, teleconference, and more. Plus, VoIP is scalable, so you can add offices or decrease office space with ease. This means all of your employees are under the same communication umbrella with one standardized system. It’s also cheaper for you as a business owner as there is little upfront hardware to install and no costly PBX to maintain.
Many companies are using collaborative tools like Zoom, SharePoint, and Slack to have meetings, work on projects, and communicate efficiently. If your technology is up-to-date, integrating these platforms into your network and data centers is done with no problem. When you are working with aging infrastructures and integrating new platforms with legacy technology, that is where breakdowns and problems occur. Missing important deadlines or collaborating ineffectively because your old technology cannot integrate with new platforms will do nothing but cost your business time and money.
Cybersecurity
Is your network and data as secure as it needs to be? With employees in various locations, using personal computers on their home WIFI to access your network and data centers, it is essential to have robust security in place. Service providers for cloud computing, VoIP, and VPN should be constantly updating cybersecurity policies in order to protect your sensitive information.
Multiple points of authentication can ensure that only authorized employees are utilizing these data and communication centers. In addition, computers used at home should have antivirus malware protection with a firewall. Employees should be educated on cybersafety and how to properly use new technology so that your company moves forward into the landscape of the “new normal” protected.
With the shift to work-from-home integrating into our daily lives, as well as the future, your company needs the technological infrastructure to support it. Establishing ways for employees to securely and easily access data is paramount to the productivity and safety of your organization. CloudFast can help you migrate to the cloud, set up a secure VPN, move your communication to VoIP, and anything else you need to ensure that your company is moving forward.
