Setting Up Remote Work

Communication & Collaboration Tools
Centrally Managed Access & Security
Your Business Controls the Technology
Keep Tabs on your People
Know How to Get Help

Flattening the Curve. That’s the most basic rule businesses can follow as COVID-19 – the dreaded coronavirus – spreads around our communities.

But business needs to continue. Your customers and employees depend upon the services or products you provide for their remote work.

One of the most effective ways to help flatten the curve is to enable as many of your employees as possible to work remotely from home. 

There are a few helpful items to make for a productive, safe remote working environment.

Communication & Collaboration Tools

Microsoft365 gives business access to cloud based tools such as Microsoft Teams for internal collaboration & communicating in real time. SharePoint is another MS365 tool that allows teams to collaborate as well as securely share documents and other assets.
Cloud applications like Skype, Zoom and Slack allow your team to communicate with each other and with clients, vendors, and prospects anywhere in the world.

Centrally Managed Access & Security

Your Managed Services Provider (MSP) is a fantastic resource to set up secure remote VPN access tools. For example Sophos Clientless Remote Desktop, Sophos VPN, SonicWall VPN, and others.
As part of your MSP platform, user endpoints – laptops, tablets, and other company provisioned devices – should be optimized with the latest security patches and updates. 
MSP managed security tools also include managed anti-virus, anti-malware, ransomware protection, spam filtering. And other automated features to reduce security risks.
Enable extra layers of security protection such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), updated password policies, and other features for your business applications.
Remind remote employees DAILY about security threats such as phishing, safe internet use, and other cyberattack methods. Therefore employees need to be even more diligent when using email and the internet away from the office in their working environment.

Your Business Controls the Technology

Depending on security controls your business has in place, there may be changes required for a secure remote workforce. It is critical at this time that your organization continues to be diligent to avoid lapses in security.
Be sure that the technology your employees use for business are devices and connections that your business controls. Use of personal devices, the ability for employees to ‘kill’ certain protections, or using devices that your MSP can’t “see” should prevent them from connecting to your network.
Have an up to the minute inventory of all devices online and under management. And keep track of where those devices are physically. Once a device leaves your place of business, there’s always a risk of that device being lost, stolen, or inoperable. So your MSP should be able to provide an end point protection that tracks and secures devices remotely.

Keep Tabs on your People

Make sure everyone has accurate up to date contact information. Put this information into a document for employees so they can connect with one another outside of communication applications if necessary.
Communication from leadership is key to making sure production levels remain as high as if everyone were in the office together. Check in, schedule conversations, and remain social to keep your teams engaged.
Create a hierarchical communications protocol for any all staff or departmental communications. There are additional tools such as SMS/texting, and messaging apps that can be used outside of the corporate email chain if necessary in your remote working environment.

Know How to Get Help

Make sure your employees know how to get help desk support from internal contacts or your MSP. It’s easy to find “workarounds” when they’re away from the office. Ensuring an easy path to IT support eliminates security, downtime, and data loss risks.

Finally, pay attention to information posted on the CDC and WHO websites, above all social media channels, and other forms of communication. This will help you communicate clearly with unbiased information when making decisions and updating your team to any changes in the pandemic. It can also guide you on policies for client visits, employee travel, events, and more.

For more information about how Klik.Solutions helps businesses with advanced, tailored remote working solutions, contact info@klik.solutions or visit www.klik.solutions

Stay Healthy!