5 Ways You Can Make Sure Your Remote Employer Data is Protected
You’ve likely had experience with remote employment, especially if you’re a software developer. A lot of companies outsource their web development and customer support functions, and as a result, your work could end up being done by someone in another country.
This is where encryption comes in handy; it makes sure that all communication between the two parties is secure.
Without encryption, remote employees would be open to hackers who might access sensitive information like your bank account numbers or login credentials. With encryption in place, only the two parties involved will be able to read what’s going on at all times.
But, is there a policy to ensure that your employer’s data is protected?
1. Don’t share your login credentials
This is the number one way to make sure that your employer’s data is protected. While you may pick up the slack when an employee goes on vacation, if they don’t give you their login credentials, you’re pretty much out of luck.
Instead of handing over your login information, ask the person who is handling your remote job to use an online tool like 1Password or LastPass. These services can generate unique passwords for every site that requires them.
This way, even if your employer finds out about the password manager you’re using, they won’t be able to access any of your sensitive information.
2. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are software solutions that help users encrypt their data and secure their network from unwanted intrusion by providing security over public networks such as Wi-Fi hotspots and cellular data networks.
They allow employees to work remotely without fear of exposing sensitive information on the company network.
A VPN will encrypt all the user’s traffic, including email messages, web browsing history, instant messaging conversations and more — preventing unauthorized third parties from reading it all. And because there are no cables to connect to a remote location, employees will have no way of accessing the data without knowing the password.
3. Use Email Encryption
As previously mentioned, email is one of the most common ways people communicate at work — especially when they are working remotely — so there’s no reason it shouldn’t be secured with encryption.
While there are a good deal of different email encryption tools out there, we recommend ProtonMail for its simplicity and affordability — it works for both business and personal use with unlimited messages for 3–10 Euro per month.
It’s a great way to ensure that your employer’s data is protected, but it’s not the only way.
4. Use a Remote Data Protector
Data Protectors are one of the most effective ways to make sure that your employer’s data is protected. They’re especially useful for employees who use their personal devices for work.
They are portable apps that let you store all of your files and data on your phone, tablet or laptop — all encrypted with 256-bit AES encryption — without having to worry about a breach of security.
Since you can use them anywhere, there’s no need to worry about the data you’re working on being stolen or intercepted by an unauthorized party.
Photo by Chris Ried on Unsplash.
5. Use an Internal Chat App with Encryption Built-in
While there are many mobile device apps available for remote workers, some of them aren’t very secure. They may offer encryption and data protection, but they aren’t built with security in mind.
It’s important to look for apps that are safe. While we have already mentioned some of the best options, you can find a few more at the links below:
We hope this guide has helped you understand how to protect your employer’s data while working remotely. And if you’re still not sure what steps to take, please ask us in the comments section below!
About the Author
I hope that my post has helped you know more about Startups. Feel free to leave a comment and tag me and I will answer them. Follow my profile to get the latest content I post to stay ahead of the curve.
I am the Founder of Cudy Technologies, a full-stack EdTech startup helping teachers and students learn better. I am also a mentor and angel investor in other Startups of my other interests (Proptech, Fintech, HRtech, Ride-hailing, C2C marketplaces, and SaaS). You can also find me on Cudy for early-stage Startup Founder mentorship and advice.
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