Moving from the office to working from home has brought with it more than a few changes to how we all do business. Shifting environments means we have had to shift our practices regarding a multitude of processes, ranging from security protocols, to e-mail to basic network user access.
How can employees access private business information without losing security?
How can we make it easy for employees to access, use, and share vital information easily and efficiently?
How can we make data and vital business applications available anywhere to remote users?
These are just a few of the questions that business owners and I.T. specialists were facing virtually over night.
The good news is that most major service providers have already been developing and considering new ways to support these working environments for some time. So the questions no longer surrounded if the necessary protocols and security measures could be implemented, but instead:
How many platforms, applications, and protocols were needed?
How/if could they be properly integrated?
What would it look like for each independent business?
How is the remote user affected and what measures need to be put in place to have them work properly?
While these may seem like simpler or easier problems to be faced with, they actually aren’t. Security solutions and access protocols are very much customized around the unique needs and internal processes of each business. So there is no simple, or one-size-fits-all solution regarding security. Technical expertise is essential when developing and implementing a cloud platform like Microsoft Azure.
By using Office 365 or Azure you can allow for simple, single sign-in access to your network that has fully functional data backups and security in place. Files that are being used and accessed remotely are being done so within the safety and security of a managed cloud service. Furthermore, by setting up the platforms to integrate properly you allow remote employees easy and quick access to their active directory and files without losing or altering established access parameters.
Having these platforms implemented by experts creates a work from home environment that allows users to enjoy the access, functionality, and security of a fully functional business network. However, due to the multitude of different functions and applications with platforms like Azure, it is very easy to make a mistake in setup that compromises performance. So make sure you are working with an expert when you go through the setup process or you could mistakenly allow for potential vulnerability regarding security or performance.
One of the places where businesses are most vulnerable is through e-mail access and bad practices. Since it is very easy to bounce information in and out of e-mail, many businesses could find themselves exposed to phishing scams, ransomware, and other digital threats that they didn’t face when they were working within their own on-premise networks.
E-mail is being used more and more maliciously now than ever before. Security breaches can easily happen if employees are not properly trained on how to use e-mail appropriately. Creating protocols for securely accessing e-mail and data that are simple to use, yet still extremely protective, can help prevent breaches that can cripple a business.
From local government offices to small privately owned business, everyone was targeted and many were victimized by phishing scams, ransomware, and spam attacks in 2020. Most trends like this tend to get more malicious and brazen over time so it is important now more than ever to ensure that your employees are not making simple mistakes that can compromise vital information.
Here are a few examples of bad e-mail practices that compromised networks, private information, and destroyed businesses:
- E-mailing company files to personal e-mail for easy access. This takes private data from a secure environment to a potentially exposed network.
- Clicking malicious e-mails that could have been filtered with proper security. These e-mails often look safe an convincing and typically seem like they are from a trusted source. It only takes one mistaken click to compromise a wealth of information.
- Working as a remote user outside of the network opens up the potential for gaps to arise within the disaster recovery or backup protocols. If your business network is regularly backing up your e-mail data, you will lose that the moment someone migrates files off the business network.
These are just a few of a growing list of examples where people and businesses were victimized over mishaps in e-mail. There are plenty of steps and pre-emptive measures available to help mitigate and avoid these potential security pitfalls.
CBS has an experienced and certified team of I.T. network specialists that are ready to assist you in both setting up and optimizing your cloud network. Contact us anytime to set up a network audit or simply ask a question.