Permitting employees to telecommute can reduce costs, but it can increase the chances of a security breech, damages to your server due to viruses and malware, and a data recovery emergency. One way to reduce these risks is through a virtual private network, which protects data transmitted in both directions: from employees’ devices to your server and the other way around. 

Your company’s mission-critical, confidential data is placed at risk when employees connect to the network via unsecured wireless connections, including free WiFi in airports, coffee shops and, increasingly, in many other random places. Using a mobile device as a WiFi hotspot and transmitting data via their network may not be entirely secure. In some cases, even employees home wireless connections are not set up on secure routers. 

An inexpensive Virtual Private Network (VPN) mitigates these risks when data is transmitted via unsecured challenges. The VPN scrambles the data moving in either direction.

Additionally, avoiding unsecured filesharing apps like Dropbox can also help reduce security risks and prevent a data recovery emergency caused from data that’s been lost or corrupted from a virus. 

Mitigate the Need for Emergency Data Recovery for your Business

Permitting employees to telecommute or use their own mobile devices for work purposes sets your organization up for multiple security risks, many of which can cause data loss and the need for emergency data recovery services.

Setting up protocols such as a VPN and making rules on data transmission, mobile device use, and telecommuting clear at the onset can help reduce these risks. But also let employees know that if they do experience data loss, don’t panic and don’t attempt do-it-yourself data recovery. Your IT staff should have the phone number of a data recovery service they trust on-hand at all times. Let employees know it’s okay to come to you with reports of data loss; the best way to recover the data is through a professional data recovery service.