How to manage remote security on uncontrolled devices?

What is remote security?

Working remotely from the comfort of your homes has become a common thing these days, and people find it convenient, time saving, and most importantly, persistent to external threats given Covid-19 Pandemic. However, there lies a margin of threat although undeterred at first but using the uncontrolled or non-company issued devices would incur the possibility of a cyber breach and other vulnerabilities coming to light. But, as difficult as it may sound, to maintain the security of the uncontrolled remote devices, it can easily be done with the help of understanding a few key elements; a few of these are as follows.

Using secured passwords

First of all, the possibility of using the non-company or non-encrypted devices should be ruled out but still if necessary, to use them then certain precautions must be taken into account. Starting with strong passwords is the first line of defense that you can install for securing the remote connections. There are certain complexity levels involved within setting a password for your remote connection, always stick with the long and complex passwords that take into account different sets of things such as using capital and small letters, numbers and other keys to make it even more complicated for hackers to get into.

This way your devices and remote connection with the company you are working for would become stronger and more difficult for the hackers to speculate.

Using two-factor authentication system

What would make your remote connection using the uncontrolled devices more secure than ever? Well, it is going to be the security metrics that you put into place to increase the overall level of security. But two-factor authentication is the original thing here, not only it would increase your overall level of security but the sense of sharing data and other information can also get improved. This sophisticated system works based on two different variations of password systems put into place to authenticate dedicated users vouching to use the remote connection.

The first step could be putting in a user based password and after it is authenticated another security system would kick in demanding further credentials to be placed by the user and getting them validated further on. Hackers and cyber criminal's game would be destroyed as they might be able to get their hands on the first credentials but the latter ones would be extremely difficult for them to crack. This way the importance of security would never leave the sight of people working for your company.

Updating your OS

Every digital technology works on a specified operating system or OS, with time your old OS would become weary and there would a need to upgrade it which is often done by the developers in terms of updating it with a patch or a firmware update. But then a time comes when these patch and firmware updates don't hold onto the security side of things and thus the whole OS needs to be changed with a new and updated system.

If your employees are using unprotected and uncontrolled devices for remote working then you should work on bringing a new and custom-developed OS system that serves the users with better performance, optimizable and steady speed, and improved security. Not only this but installing the OS system would also install the latest and greatest security patches and updates for your antivirus or antimalware systems so that you can better acclimate with increased threats and cyber anomalies.

Restrict the access while using firewalls

What you should be doing is installing the firewall systems on both the hardware and software-based ends, this way you will be able to restrict the unauthorized access of hackers or cybercriminals from reaching the listening ports. If by any chance they reach the listening ports placed at the data centers then they would be able to control a major portion of your company’s network and can plan on doing some illicit things. The complete network of the company could be infiltrated while important personal and user data hacked or worse yet the financial information of the company employees as well as customers also breached.

Another impressive system that you can use here is the VPN technology that would allow your users to access a different listening port every time they want to connect and start working. This would essentially rule out any possibility of a cyber breach occurring or hackers trying to access the remote listening ports at your company’s network through a consistent IP connection. Why? Because using a VPN the IP address of the connection developed in between the listening port and the person using the connection would continue to change with every request, only providing a little window to the hackers and cybercriminals to do something.    

Instate a “no personal device” protocol

People are always interested in using their own devices for the sake of personal convenience and ease of working but this gives rise to other security issues strengthening over time. Hackers and cybercriminals can easily take control of these devices due to not being encrypted and in turn, the parent network of the company hosting can get compromised. Simply take out the chances of this ever happening by briefing your employees to use the company-issued devices. Because these can be encrypted easily and thus controlled vividly by the organization every step of the way, special monitoring systems can also be put into place to detect the unsavory activity on a company-issued device.

The same can’t be achieved by using a simple or user convenient device, plus it could prove to be extremely fatal to use such devices for continually accessing and connecting with the company’s network. Before you end up in a complicated or horrible place, rule out the use of other devices completely and instate the use of only company-issued gadgets all the time.  

If your employees are still struggling with how to manage it on uncontrolled devices then you must indulge them in cybersecurity training for them to know better the ins and outs of security systems.