The Importance Of Backup & Disaster Recovery For Remote Workers

Remote work may be the only element of the pandemic that people want to keep in their lives. Although there were some misgivings at first about how productive employees would be if they didn’t need to come into the office every day, employers and workers quickly adjusted and found there were some real benefits to it. In fact, numerous offices are rethinking their current space and offering their staff the opportunity to continue working from home at least part of the time. However, this isn’t to say that there’s no downside to this new arrangement, especially when it comes to data security. 

Understanding the Threat

Having an Internet connection in practically every home made the current remote work system possible. However, having dozens if not hundreds of employees all using their own networks to connect to their employers’ also opens the door for a lot of risk. 

For example, more than half of all people who work remotely admit that they do not secure their home Internet connections with a password. Further, 90% say they’ve used their employer-provided laptops and other devices for personal use. This is why every organization that offers telecommuting should create a backup and disaster recovery (BDR) plan. 

Creating a BDR Plan

Because companies can’t have their IT departments set up in every employee’s home, establishing a BDR plan is essential. Unfortunately, approximately 20% of businesses don’t have any protocols in place. This puts them at risk of severe data breaches that can cost them millions of dollars in damages and recovery. 

Perhaps the most important element of such plans is strongly encouraging employees to use discipline when accessing company networks and assets. For instance, every person who connects on a regular basis should use the strongest passwords they can along with two-factor authentication whenever possible. Using a VPN to connect also provides a layer of protection. 

Businesses should use good planning on their ends, as well. This includes making frequent backups of all data to their servers or to the cloud in the event of an outage. This information also needs to be stored in more than one location to provide coverage in case of a ransomware attack or anything else that severs access to the main network. 

Working remotely has the potential to become the new normal, as long as it continues to offer more benefits than problems. To learn more about why data security is so important in today’s workplace, take a look at the accompanying resource. 

Infographic created by MXOtech

Brian Farrell is a coach, helping clients achieve their personal and professional goals. He's also the creator of the "QA2 Method". For more about Brian, visit bfarrell.com

0 Comments on “The Importance Of Backup & Disaster Recovery For Remote Workers