An IT security plan for remote working: Key considerations

It’s becoming increasingly important to have an IT security plan for remote working in place as more and more employees access the servers outside the office.

Last year the government announced that all staff can request the right to flexible working, giving 20 million employees the chance to work from home if their company lets them. The government estimates that there will be 182,000 such requests each year.

Sometimes working remotely is for the convenience of the employee, such as working from home to take care of a sick child – but sometimes, it’s also a requirement set by the employer, such as asking staff to work on-the-go during a business trip.

Either way, the security implications differ for remote working compared to office working.

The challenges

There are several challenges which necessitate an IT security plan for remote working.

It is much more difficult to monitor employees’ activity when they are working remotely, so it is therefore much harder to ensure they are working securely and safely, or sufficiently protecting the servers if they are connected to them.

As a result, it can also be highly problematic to assist a remote worker with detective or corrective measures if an IT disaster strikes away from the office which threatens the loss of vital data.

Moreover, working remotely brings fresh risks which do not exist in the office, such as the potential for losing a laptop or work phone – perhaps even sensitive data being obtained by the wrong people if they read confidential information on an employee’s screen.

The solution

The solution to these challenges is an IT security plan for remote working which both employer and employee agree to.

A key feature of this plan should be rules for the storage, security, sending and disposal of data, as well as the protection of equipment, with established procedures in place in the event of these rules being breached.

The plan should also specify any IT activities which are not permitted while working remotely under company policy.

It is also important that the plan stipulates minimum expectations for reporting back to the office – for example, so that any necessary changes to equipment can be made.

An IT security plan for remote working: in summary

Remote working is becoming increasingly popular, but presents a greater number of risks than staying in the workplace.

Therefore, establishing an IT security plan for remote working is important for ensuring the safety of devices and sensitive data.

If you would like to know more about the key considerations for an IT security plan for remote working or IT support in general, please get in touch – we’d be delighted to hear from you.