Companies that have switched to working from home for the first time are experiencing additional headaches. Even companies that are already familiar with teleworking are facing a challenge now that everyone is working from home full-time. So what is the best way to go about this?
1. Give clear guidelines
With IT security, the end user is usually the weak link. So your employees must be alert to viruses and hackers. The latter have already started targeting people who are inexperienced in working from home with phishing messages. This involves trying to get hold of sensitive business data. So draw up a set of very clear guidelines for all teleworkers.
2. Be careful with social media
Companies and employees now like to share through social media the fact that they are still working. That's fine, but don't illustrate this by using a screenshot of a conference call where you can see the link to the chat session. These links are often not secured, so you run the risk of someone listening in on a team meeting.
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Take the test3. Create a framework with specific tools
Make sure that employees aren't just going to use any app or software to telework, as this could lead to complete loss of control over IT security and licence management. So choose specific tools that everyone works with – which is also more efficient for communication between employees. When rolling out these tools, consider their impact on the operation of your business in the long term and ensure that there is a good governance structure in place from the start with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
4. Let everyone communicate and collaborate safely
How can your employees share documents and collaborate? E-mailing back and forth or letting everyone choose their own method is certainly not the fastest and safest solution. By storing data centrally and making it available through the cloud, you enable employees to find information faster and stay up-to-date. Set up digital, automated workflows so that documents are approved faster and projects finished more efficiently.
5. Provide as much IT support as possible
Your employees are not IT specialists. If you want to keep productivity and efficiency as high as possible, you also need to provide the best possible IT support to enable your employees to telework safely. The best solution is an online IT helpdesk that is available to everyone if problems arise. You can also be proactive and circulate tips, for instance about how employees can improve or strengthen the security of their wi-fi connection at home.
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