Whether you are looking to start a business or retain some sort of control over your self-employment powers, working from home appears to be one of the most popular aspects of using modern technology to its advantage. All you need is an internet connection and a laptop and you are able to work from anywhere, truly embracing that digital nomad lifestyle. But what technology do you need to ensure that you work at home effectively? Working from home results in higher productivity and reduced stress, but what are the tools and methods you need in place to ensure long-term sustainability?
Sufficient Desktop Security
Because remote workers tend to use standard PC equipment it’s important to have that extra layer of protection put in place. Most will be equipped with an anti-virus firewall but it’s important to go the extra mile. Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) applications or pre-built rackmount servers are approaches that can create a secure environment. Ensuring that remote employees are able to access information from a controlled cloud system will result in peace of mind for any worker.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA is used to ensure that authorised access is astute. Multi-Factor Authentication is commonplace in many large organisations but when you are working in a remote capacity it’s important that when you start to get the extra help through additional employees that the trust goes a long way. You may think that it’s not necessary for such a small environment but if you have other remote workers you can’t always trust the fact that they will operate securely, especially if they are on the other side of the planet. A username and password are not enough these days.
Encryption Of Business Calls
While most of us are already using end-to-end encryption when messaging via apps like Skype but if the connection is hacked it can be difficult to make any sense of the data transfer. It’s important to remember that the sender and the receiver are the only people that have the key to the encrypted communication stream. Installing encryption processes is one thing but also creating a mindset of prevention and security is another. We have to remember that when operating any sort of business that it’s not just about the technology; it’s about the workers and their own attitudes towards security.
Automating Non-Essential Processes
We live in a world where automation isn’t just nice to have; it is essential. We have to protect our information as well as our customers by using automated systems. We can implement an automated IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system which adds an extra level of security during payment processes. When we automate the capture of personal financial information this means that the agent will never be able to access this.
Working from home is the dream for many but when you need to take into account the various types of technology that make it smooth sailing, looking at these four processes can help to make life a lot easier for any remote worker.