By Ben Hosie

THERE’S no need for me to tell you that it’s no longer “business as usual”. Practically every company has been impacted by the coronavirus, with many having to quickly modernise in order to keep afloat.

A lot of businesses are playing catch-up to overcome the latest restrictions and work remotely. We’ve experienced an increase in demand for our cloud project management software, sfG Scope, from companies which are totally new to remote working – they now need to quickly transfer their operations to the cloud tokeep working efficiently.

While cloud solutions are certainly what are needed during this time, it’s important to continue to be vigilant of online security. In the rush to facilitate remote working, companies must be mindful of potential risks and understand how to mitigate them.

If you’re not currently using a virtual private network (VPN) that employees can use to access shared company assets, then now is the time to do so. Your team’s home WiFi networks are likely not as secure as your work network – using a VPN will help to secure their connection. Failing to use a VPN can leave your services exposed to hacking and unauthorised access to your data.

Many will be using Zoom to host video calls and screensharing. Zoom is a very popular tool that allows employees to stay connected, but it does have security vulnerabilities. Essentially, using a randomised approach, hackers can access meeting calls that are not secured by a password – therefore, businesses must ensure their teams only send meeting invitations with an associated password.

Adopting password protection throughout your cloud services remains important – if any documents or software contains sensitive information, it should be shielded behind a password. This includes financial spreadsheets, HR files and CRM databases. Password protecting as many relevant items as possible limits the risk of a damaging data breach. Be sure to use a strong password – you can use a random password generator to ensure it is secure and cannot be guessed.

Unfortunately, scammers are unperturbed by the coronavirus – in fact, this is a prime time for fraudsters looking to exploit businesses’ vulnerability. There are a number of convincing scam emails making the rounds, including a prolific Amazon Prime password reset email that you may have already received. Make sure you absolutely trust the source of your emails – the best way to check if information is accurate is through visiting the company’s website directly. Never download anything that is unverified and be sure to encourage your employees to act with extra vigilance during this time.

Beyond online security, there are offline concerns that companies should consider. If your employees have borrowed company equipment such as computers, monitors or specialist tech, then these are unlikely to be covered by your office insurance. Help your employees to understand what their existing home insurance covers and provide support to arrange additional cover if necessary.

Cloud-based solutions are vital during this time, providing a lifeline for many companies who would otherwise cease to operate. Whilst it is essential that businesses move their operations to the cloud wherever possible, doing so in a safe manner is key. Choose to work with software providers who are conscious of safety risks and who can work closely with you to safeguard against them.

Ben Hosie is Product Manager of Inverness-based job management software, sfG Scope