Working remotely is often everyone’s dream … until you have no choice. As one day blends into the next, you suddenly discover all the things you miss by being away from your normal routine.
It’s not just your morning coffee, or heading out to lunch with friends. It’s the speedy access to the internet. It’s the ability to tap into your data without going through multiple logins.
At the office, everything is set up for you to stay safe and secure. But now that you’re home, you are looking for workarounds. You just want to get the job done.
Stop.
It’s more important than ever to keep security in mind as you work remotely from home. Hackers are out there, knowing you’re more vulnerable. They also know you’re more likely to click and be concerned about growing trends, so they do whatever they can to make you a statistic.
Luckily, we have a few simple practices to help you stay safe and move forward while you’re working remotely.
Make sure you and your team have all the tools
How fast did you make the decision to have your team work remotely? Hours? It’s easy to grab your computer and run. But that might mean you or others have a door wide open to your data. You might even be violating HIPAA regulations. What phone system are members of your team using to connect with you, patients, and outside resources? Are they only using their work computers and smartphones, or do they stray and use tools already in place at home? Now is a good time to connect and walk through safety practices to ensure everyone is diligent about using approved resources.
What’s that password?
People are lazy when it comes to setting up passwords to secure different systems. Studies show “password” is still used regularly as a password. In the rush to move everything home, it’s easy for some team members to lose or misplace password records, which means they are changing them out once again. With all that’s happening in this world, is your weakest link a secure password? Review your password policy and retrain your team to make wise decisions.
What do you really need?
While we’re not suggesting now is the time to make significant changes with the way you work, working remotely may give you a chance to reassess what makes sense for your business model. Are there new systems you could demo to see if they are a better fit? When was the last time you researched cloud-based applications to determine if you could improve your online strategy and make it better? What about virtual medicine; could you find a way to bring it safely into your practice in a bigger way? Now is the time to think big, albeit differently. Our demands won’t go away; they’re just going to change. This will make virtual communities grow bigger, faster, than ever before. What can you do to get ready for this change?
Working remotely might not have been a part of your plans. But with a little time and ingenuity, you can use it to manage your practice into a leaner, more relevant business for the future.
Stay safe and secure as we move forward, one day at a time.
For IT Strategy, Cloud Conversion, or Help Desk Services reach out to us at Silver Linings Technology 360-450-4759.
