Remote working has become the most important IT topic in 2020. The coronavirus is forcing every company to embrace the remote work. However, most companies don’t have a clear plan. This will ultimately lead to compliance and security risks. You should create a plan for implementing remote network access first. This will give you a competitive advantage over other enterprises.

Definition of Remote Network Access:

Remote network access will allow your employees to access your networks from a remote location. Thus, they don’t have to visit your office for accessing your network. Your employees can work from their homes. They can use remote network access for accessing their data and applications.

In the past, companies were using special remote access servers for managing the remote network access. However, companies are now managing their IT network by using cloud technology. They are also using VPN tools for controlling their network. If companies want more control, then they can use zero-trust network architecture.

Companies should create a proper plan for setting up remote network access. This will ensure that your employees won’t face any problem in the future. We are going to share some tips that will help you in setting up remote network access.

Consider your security compliance needs

Companies that are dealing with financial and healthcare data have to follow various security compliances. If you are in the healthcare sector, then you need to follow the HIPAA compliance. Similarly, if you are dealing with financial data, then you need to follow the PCI DSS compliance. Your employees are going to use remote network access for handling your sensitive data. Thus, you should think about the impact of remote access on your compliance requirements.

If you are in the healthcare sector, then you need to make sure that your remote network access is following the HIPAA guidelines. This will help you in protecting PHI or personal health information. Remote network access can give rise to many security problems. You need to address these security problems. In some cases, you might need to educate your employees about the remote platforms. However, you might need to use new security controls for addressing the security risks. It is important to consider your security compliances first.

Create a device policy

The greatest threat to the remote environment is unsecured devices. Your employees can use their devices for accessing your enterprise network. Thus, they might use their unsecured devices for accessing your data and applications. This can create many security loopholes in your enterprise network. Hackers can use these devices as a back door. They can use it for entering into your network. Thus, they will get access to your critical data and applications. Every device in your remote network can act as a vulnerability. Most employees are already using unsecured home networks for accessing your data.

You should work on creating a strong data policy. This will help you in reducing the probability of a data breach. Most companies can’t provide a secure device to all their employees. Your IT department should restrict your employees to a single device. Make sure that your employees are using a single device for accessing your network. Zero Trust architecture will help you in achieving this. If your employees are using a separate device, then they should take proper permission from your IT department first. Your IT team should ensure that they are using a secured device for accessing your network.

Data Management

Sometimes your remote employees might download your customer data in their device. Your data can go from a secure enterprise network to a personal network. Thus, your data can easily get lost or stolen. You need to implement proper security controls for protecting your data. The complexity of this situation can increase in a hybrid IT environment. You might have multiple networks and workloads in your IT environment. It is easy to manage data in a single IT environment. However, it is very difficult to manage your data in a hybrid IT environment. You need to create a clear strategy for managing your data.

Redundancy

Every organization should work on creating a solid backup strategy. This will ensure that you can always access your critical applications and data. If you are using your enterprise network for delivering your services, then this is more important for you. The increased strain on your network can ultimately lead to system downtime. You should work on increasing your bandwidth capacity by working with a cloud or data center provider. If you are expanding your remote workforce, then it can introduce many problems in your network. Thus, every organization should set up good backup solutions. This will help you in recovering your system from downtime.

Check your cloud needs

Many organizations are still using legacy technology. Thus, they can’t set up a remote network. Cloud computing solutions will help you in solving this problem. It will help you in quickly implementing remote working capabilities. You can quickly set up a VPN network for protecting your remote access. Cloud providers are offering various services to their customers. These services will help you in improving the efficiency and security of your remote environment. Companies should work on creating a flexible hybrid IT environment. You can work with colocation providers for creating this hybrid IT environment. It will ensure that your employees can quickly transition to a remote environment.

Conclusion

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing companies to create a remote network. Most of their employees are currently working from home. Thus, they need to create secure remote network access for their employees. This will ensure that your employees can access your data and applications from anywhere in the world. There are many security issues that you need to deal with. It is important to make sure that your remote working environment is safe. If you are not following security compliances, then it will ultimately lead to penalties. Also, you should use zero trust architecture for protecting your data from unsecured devices. Companies that are still using legacy technology should switch to cloud technology. Cloud providers will help you in setting up a perfect remote environment. If you need more tips regarding remote working, then you can contact Bleuwire.

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