Remote work has been an ongoing and growing trend that many companies and employees have adopted as a norm. It’s been proven to be beneficial in many ways, from eliminating in-office finances to strengthening communication and productivity for many. But as our way of working evolves, so do hackers’ ways of exploiting digital information. As law firms look into expanding remote options for their workers, it’s critical to do so in confidence and avoid information being at risk outside of the office.
Below are some exercises and tips your firm can put into place to ensure your workers have good cyber security practices.
Tom Lambotte suggested in his article for Attorney at Work that you should establish what is and isn’t acceptable and how they should respond to certain digital security threats:
1. Avoid using personal devices
2. Avoid working in public areas. Workers should have a dedicated office space in their homes.
3. Website and App Security should always have a 2-factor authentication available for employees.
4. Know how to handle e-mails and how to spot and avoid phishing attempts and scams. This includes carefully looking at the sender’s emails, links before clicking them, and file types attached to the e-mail.
5. Internet safety. Do not download items on the work computers that are not authorized, and avoid dodgy websites.
6. Have an IT support member available for employees to contact with questions.
Hackers will look at your software, tools, and systems just as much as they observe your workers. Make sure your digital software is equally protected:
1. Be sure your software and digital devices are up to date and upgraded to the latest software update. Hackers will look for weaknesses, and system updates help continue to protect you from them.
2. Passwords for all digital apps and devices should be tough-to-crack. Password generator apps can help ensure you a unique set of characters that make it difficult for hackers to breach your information.
Read more on cyber security in Lambotte's article for Attorney at Work: Cybersecurity Best Practices for Remote Workers (attorneyatwork.com)
