Protect against the Security Risks of Remote Working
With the impact of the spread of the new coronavirus in 2020, telework and remote work have become not uncommon ways of working. Many companies may not have introduced telework at this time, but may be considering whether to do so in the future.
Information security measures are essential for companies to introduce telework. To prevent problems from occurring in your company, be sure to keep security measures in mind.
This article explains why information security measures are necessary for telework. It also introduces the advantages of introducing telework and specific examples of security measures. If you are considering introducing telework, please read this article to the end.
Necessity and possible risks of information security measures in telework
While an increasing number of companies are adopting telework, many are facing challenges in ensuring security.According to a survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 47.6% of companies responding to the survey said that security was an issue when introducing telework.
When implementing telework, various risks can arise if security measures are not taken.
To prevent losses to your company, understand the possible risks. There are four typical risks.
Lost or stolen terminals
In many cases, employees are lent laptop computers when teleworking. When working at home, there is little concern about loss or theft of the device, but when working in a coworking space, one must be careful about loss or theft of the device.
If personal customer information or other information is stored on the terminal, loss or theft can lead to major problems.
information leak
When working at home or in a coworking space, you will be using a different Internet connection than in the office. Since the strength of security varies from line to line, there is a risk of information leaks if you use an Internet line with a weak security level.
Infection with malware
Terminals provided in offices will generally have antivirus software installed. However, it is not uncommon for terminals used by employees for personal use to not have antivirus software installed. As a result, the risk of infection with malicious viruses and other malware increases.
Communication interception and wiretapping
Be especially careful when using public Wi-Fi in cafes and other places. Because free Wi-Fi is available to anyone, there is a risk that your communications may be intercepted. In some cases, the Wi-Fi may be eavesdropped on, so it is important to be very careful when using free Wi-Fi.
Back to ContentsTeleworking has its benefits if information security measures are implemented!
While teleworking has security risks, it also has benefits for both employees and companies. Specific benefits are listed below.
Reduced commuting time
For employees, the commute to work can be one of the most stressful experiences. Riding crowded trains can be especially stressful. If teleworking can be introduced, employees will no longer have to commute and will be able to use their free time more effectively. This will also improve work efficiency.
Preventing employee turnover
If we can create an environment that allows employees to work from anywhere, we can expand the range of human resources we can hire, for example, by allowing us to hire people in rural areas. There are also cases where employees leave their jobs because commuting becomes difficult due to reasons such as childcare or nursing care. If such employees can work via telework, it is possible to prevent them from leaving the company.
Other benefits include cost savings from reduced office space and transportation costs.
Back to ContentsExamples of Information Security Measures for Telework
When implementing telework, it is essential for companies to take measures. Here are seven specific measures.
Establishment of security guidelines
There are ways to establish security guidelines for what you want your employees to be aware of as a company. It is important to clearly state what employees should be aware of (basic policy) in their work and make sure they are aware of it.
The security guidelines should not be established once and then be updated according to the times.
Installation of security software
While clear statements through guidelines are effective, one way is to introduce software that can be expected to be effective as a security measure. If a terminal becomes infected with a virus, it can cause significant losses to the company. To prevent the worst from happening, security software should be installed on the terminals used for business purposes.
Strict password management
It is important to set passwords that are difficult to guess for passwords to be entered during business operations. Passwords such as birthdays, names, and consecutive numbers are easily guessed and may lead to unauthorized access. Therefore, it is recommended to set strong passwords with alphabets and symbols.
Promoting Paperless
While paper documents are easy to carry, they also have the disadvantage of being at high risk of theft or loss. If paper documents are stolen or lost while away from home, it can lead to irreparable problems. The key to eliminating the disadvantages of paper documents is to go paperless.
Encryption of personal information
If you handle a lot of personal information, encrypt the data itself. In companies that use cloud applications, it is possible that employees may access personal information through the application. Encrypting the data in advance will help protect against unauthorized access.
Regular OS or app updates
Update your OS and applications as soon as possible, as update programs are provided on a daily basis. Update programs may include things such as vulnerability remediation. Failure to do so will maintain a high level of security risk, so it is essential to take action as soon as possible.
Conduct security training
Among the various security measures available, security education is recommended to help people understand the need for security measures. The curriculum for security education will often be set to content tailored to those with low security literacy. After taking the time to inform employees about examples of information security incidents, etc., make them aware of the importance of security measures and aim to raise the level of security literacy in the entire organization.
Back to ContentsSummary
In this issue, we introduced examples of countermeasures as well as reasons why information security measures are essential for telework.
Although teleworking involves various risks related to security, it also has many advantages. To promote diverse work styles and create a comfortable work environment, consider introducing telework.
Since employees’ awareness will result in protecting confidential information by human error, HR professionals need to take actions to improve their performance.learningBOX ON learningBOX is one of the effective learning management systems. You can create your original quizzes, upload PDF or videos, and other varieties of content in one learning environment. Auto-scoring is available as default and you can track employees' learning progress easily.
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There will be something you can do to improve your work environment.
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