Solutions to secure a remote workforce

Business and the workforce as we know it has changed – suddenly and earth-shatteringly – across the globe amid the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Companies across the globe are activating contingency and business continuity plans that are allowing employees to work from home remotely to limit the spread of the virus. In a new reality, where millions of people are working remotely, secure networks are now more critical than ever. Businesses still need to operate, but are now more reliant on technology.

Doing everyday tasks that were previously basic, such as signing purchase orders or contracts, has created restrictions for some under social distancing, but solutions like digital document signing, e-mail encryption solutions and cloud have undoubtedly made it easier for businesses to run more functionally. Herman Kriel, GM for CyberTech, a Division of Altron, provides tips for organisations to remain operational and secure.

1. Sign, verify and automate digital documents

Automate the flow of documents and data, digitising complex business process. Across the world, digital signatures are fast becoming the only legally accepted replacement for handwritten signatures. One solution that CyberTech offers is SigniFlow. SigniFlow is an effective workflow creation tool that allows for all types of approvals and e-signing scenarios that allow employees to sign leave applications and allow the manager to approve or reject leave applications. This solution is not limited to internal and external stakeholders signing highly sensitive and legal documents.

2. E-mail and document encryption

In today’s security-conscious world, data in any form must be secure, especially in transit over unprotected environments such as e-mails. Data exposure via e-mail communication can become a problem if something as small as a click to the wrong sender can expose sensitive information to the wrong audience. In order to keep this data safe, encrypting it allows only authorised users to view e-mail and attached files.

3. Other solutions

Businesses can also safeguard against the increased risk of disruption with sophisticated endpoint detection and response (EDR) software, hosting services (HSM) and cryptography to quarantine workstations remotely, limiting the potential for malicious actors to move through the network. Since most employees will now be using VPN systems, phishing attacks will be more prone, which is why businesses need a multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution to prevent unauthorised access.

COVID-19 has struck fear in people, and business processes still present many challenges; however, companies can be proactive in ensuring data remains secure.

To get more information on how we can enable your work-from-home office with remote signing and contactless business processes, contact us via our Web site or Facebook page.