IT security for staff working abroad: key concerns

When setting up protocols for IT security for staff working abroad, there are a few important things to bear in mind.

The plan that should be put in place is similar to the one needed for staff working remotely, but with a few key differences.

Of course, there can be plenty of benefits to having personnel working overseas – it can help stimulate significant growth for companies.

Naturally, there is also a range of logistics to consider though, to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible.

The best way to limit risks is to be well prepared, so here is some advice on how to maintain IT security for staff working abroad:

Overcoming long-distance hurdles

Just because two people work in different countries doesn’t mean that it has to be tough to stay in touch – it doesn’t have to be expensive either, particularly if VoIP technology is used.

One of the best ways of avoiding an IT security issue is to avoid breakdowns in communication and keep regular contact with overseas staff.

In other words, don’t just get in touch with them at the first sign of trouble – problems can be pre-empted through a regular dialogue.

For example, ensuring that all personnel abroad perform specified checks on their laptops at certain intervals could help prevent any corruptions harming the company network.

Furthermore, for staff working in a significantly different time zone (such as the US) it’s a good idea to have a backup contact in place to help with IT security issues, in case something happens at a time when everyone in the UK office has gone home or to sleep.

Preparing for new surroundings

In some countries – perhaps more likely in poorer countries – there may be an increased risk of theft, of equipment or data.

This could become more likely the longer that expensive equipment is visible in public places – so staff should be on their guard and obviously, never leave anything valuable or with access to sensitive data unattended, at all.

Overall, ensuring personnel abroad are armed with as much local knowledge as possible can only help.

If there will be a language barrier then steps to set up staff with native speakers could also be of great benefit and potentially reduce the risk of any adversity.

IT security for staff working abroad: in summary

It’s definitely worth thinking about IT security for staff working abroad and the new challenges it proposes.

It may not seem that different to planning for general remote working at first, but there are some potential pitfalls which could easily catch employees unaware, which may have an impact on their company in general.

For more information about how to make arrangements for IT security for staff working abroad or IT support, just get in touch and tell us all about the situation.