Quickly mobilize your workforce for remote-work using a few simple cloud based tools.
On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the Coronavirus (or COVID-19) is now classified as a global pandemic. Businesses, schools and public gathering places across Canada have been shuttered, and employees who are able to work remotely have been told to stay home. This will very well impact how, when, and where we work as a nation.
How does your organization’s emergency remote-work plan stack up? If you don’t have one in place, don’t panic. Here are a few helpful considerations to keep your workforce secure, engaged and productive while working remotely:
Provide Employees With a Secure Way to Store and Share Files
There’s no shortage of free file sharing app companies that claim they will solve your remote working problems in a matter of minutes. With cyber attacks on the rise, and many organizations being locked out of their own environments due to ransomware, it’s important to choose a file sharing service that will offer you additional features to keep your critical data safe. HostedBizz File Sync offers:
- Enforced credentials for secure external collaboration
- The ability to enable folder-level permissions
- Enabled secure file sharing through secure links
- 100% Canadian Data Sovereignty
- Auto-syncing file folders to the cloud, enabling easy access to data in the case of a cyber attack or damaged/stolen device
- Flexible billing – scale up and down, with no penalties as pandemic work situations improve
Keep Communication Lines Open
The switch to remote-working isn’t easy for everyone. Here are some simple tools to help remote employees and employers stay connected. Platforms such as Slack, Skype, Google Hangouts, GoTo Meeting and Zoom all allow for virtual communication through instant messaging or video conferencing. Many of these tools come at little or no cost to your organization.
Enforce Good Cyber Security Habits
Educating your employees on the importance of keeping critical data secure is really important under any circumstance. Here are some helpful reminders that we can all use, not just in times of unexpected work disruptions and pandemics.
- Check that email again – check out our previous post on how to prevent phishing attacks
- Not all file sharing platforms are equal – as discussed above, there are a lot of reasons why basic, free file sharing services don’t offer enterprise-grade storage and security. Learn more about it here
- Avoid public Wi-Fi – use personal hotspots, or encrypt your web connection if possible.
- Keep devices locked – password protect any device that may be used to work with company data
- Fortify home network connections – strengthen Wi-Fi router passwords and Wi-Fi devices that can easily be hacked on residential network connections. Your Password shouldn’t be “Password”
Global health emergencies, like Covid-19, can be scary, disruptive, and confusing for everyone. As a cloud provider, we have well-established processes to manage our cloud environment remotely, from the HostedBizz offices or from any other remote location. These processes have been in place for several years and are well proven.
HostedBizz is here to answer any questions you may have about keeping your workforce secure, engaged and productive while working remotely. Get in touch with us to find out about the many solutions that we offer, that will enable you to quickly mobilize your workforce for remote-work using a few simple cloud based tools.