If you are among the vast majority of businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic has led you to a remote workforce.

Companies all over took their employees to a remote workforce, and many of them did not have time to fully and properly prepare for the transition. Because of the rush to operate remotely, your company’s security may have been put at risk.

While the transition to a remote workforce had to happen quickly on the front end, the transition back to the office does not have to be rushed. It is important that while moving your team back into their normal work setting, you take the time to keep your security a priority.

To maintain- or in some cases improve- your network’s security as it was prior to a remote workforce, The IT Company highly encourages all businesses to follow these suggestions before transitioning back to the office:

• Coordinate with your IT Department/Vendor- Make sure everybody on your team knows the plan and timeline of the transition back. Allow enough time to check and secure devices before reconnecting them to the internal network.  
• Verify all machines returning have been checked. Ensure their security posture is up to date.This includes OS, Software Updates, Anti-Virus Updates, etc. Due to the rushed transition, devices may not have been properly configured to securely operate remotely. Before allowing any devices to be reconnected to the internal network, adequately check that they have not been compromised while being used remotely. For each device:
  1. Check patch status
  2. Run an anti-malware scan
  3. Verify its security configuration
  4. Run a vulnerability scan
• Ensure there is monitoring software installed to detect dormant threats that may re-activate when machines are returned to the network. 
• Review and disable any remote access that is no longer needed. If remote access is still necessary- replace any temporary stop gap solutions (i.e. RDP, L2TP VPNs) and replace them with secure permanent solutions.
• Test your restore of backups!
• Refresh security training with employees. Update employees of recent security concerns that have transpired during the pandemic- especially email scams. Review basic security training. Ensure each employee is operating at a heightened state of security.
• Before returning to the office, ensure employees have the necessary tools to successfully operate. Remind employees to have their passwords, login credentials, etc. prepared for their return. There is nothing more aggravating than dealing with something small, such as resetting your password, when you are trying to accomplish something. By handling things like this before returning to the office, it will eliminate frustration for employees and allow them to dive back in more productively.

Your security is absolutely critical during the transition back to the office. Be proactive in taking extra precaution. Communicate with your I.T. department to address any concerns and to ensure you are taking the necessary steps. And most importantly, keep employees informed and aware.

Do you have concerns or questions about your security during the transition back to the office? The IT Company is dedicated to your security and eliminating your I.T. frustrations. Reach out to us for more information!

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