As jobs become more focused on collaboration systems and working from home, security is an ongoing concern. While many of these tools come with intrinsically robust measures to keep criminals out, it’s still important to be aware of the risks and have a plan to manage them.
Balancing security with effective collaboration requires a thought-out strategy.
In this blog, we’ll talk about the best ways to go about this, paving the way to success for your organisation. Several aspects are involved, and we’ll go through them one by one.
Secure log-ons
As each employee or team member logs onto your collaboration system, they should – of course – put in their password.
The thing is, many passwords are either easy to guess or don’t get updated for months or even years. People also tend to use the same password for multiple different accounts. This makes it more likely for their accounts to be infiltrated.
The National Cyber Security Centre guidance on this is to not change passwords regularly as this doesn’t improve security, but rather to:
- Monitor for suspicious logins and suspicious activities
- Compare password hashes to known weak passwords at the point the user sets the password
- Make use of Troy Hunt’s “Have I been pwned” site to check the dark web for whether accounts your organisation owns have been included in known breaches
- Use two-factor/multi-factor authentication to enhance security and secure password resets.
Restrict access
Not every employee needs to have access to the entire collaboration network. For example, an admin in HR doesn’t need to see the accountancy details; staff in sales don’t need to know the details of everyone’s pensions; and so on.
Restricting access to individuals isn’t only helpful in this regard; it also protects against cyberattacks. For example, suppose a hacker gains access through a particular account. In that case, they’ll be able to see only a limited amount of information.
This technique can also be useful to increase efficient collaboration. Since an employee can see only certain data, it might help them maintain focus.
To maintain productivity, it’s also essential to ensure that everyone can access the tools and databases they need. Of course, it’ll also sometimes be necessary for specific staff members to see extra information, in which case they could request temporary access from a manager.
Horses for Courses
When it comes to systems which hold data, it’s vital to ensure they are appropriate for that data. For example, personnel systems that hold highly personal data should be afforded a higher level of security than an intranet site explaining the organisation’s Health and Safety obligations.
Similarly, financial data should be held in systems designed for financial data and appropriately protected. It might be that your collaboration service can cater for fin and PII data, but you probably need such data to be more tightly controlled than other data.
While restricting access is important, ensuring systems are appropriately picked based on what data they will hold is also essential.
Staff training
One of the most neglected but most important parts of any ICT security is staff training. Without the proper knowledge of staying safe and efficient, employees can’t be expected to put this into practice.
With the proper instruction, your employees will play a vital role in both business security and increased productivity.
Organise training with a recognised provider of your chosen collaboration software to make sure you get the most effective courses possible. Investment in this is arguably the most significant way to protect and grow your organisation.
Regular updates
In the ICT world, things are constantly changing, growing and updating. Sometimes at a scary pace. It’s really important to keep up with these since the threats also evolve at the same rate.
Old programs and bits of software become increasingly vulnerable when they’re no longer maintained by the vendor. Their parent companies no longer monitor them, and they’re usually built with outdated security measures. As such, hackers find them much easier to access.
The same is true for security measures. For example, two-factor authentication in ICT has become widely used only since the smartphone boom. Firewalls and virus definitions need regular updates, so they can constantly watch for threats to your system. Without these updates, something will inevitably slip through.
Monitor all your collaboration and security software to update them as soon as the latest patches become available.
Why these techniques are effective
A digital workspace, such as Microsoft 365, is incredibly efficient at driving up business productivity through collaboration. But it’s still crucial to keep up to date with security. As information can be accessed anywhere by anyone with the relevant login details, it’s especially important to be aware of the external (and internal) risks.
All the ideas listed above – a list by no means exhaustive – are vital from a security point of view. However, they also make a substantial difference in achieving effective collaboration. For example, training staff to use a program means they spend less time wondering how to do something. Regular updates reduce the risk of bugs and glitches, and access restrictions could help maintain focus.
Sure, it might take a little longer for someone to log on, but security and effective collaboration often go hand in hand in the grand scheme of things. After all, collaboration and business efficiency will be reduced to nothing in the event of a cyberattack.
How can AMDH Services help?
At AMDH Services, we work closely with all our partners to design, install and maintain effective ICT infrastructure. We build systems to focus on effective collaboration and security, putting your organisation in the best possible position to increase its output.
We work by asking to become a temporary part of your team for the project’s duration. This gives us a unique insight into the difficulties your business, church or charity might be going through. We can then come up with creative ICT solutions to solve these problems.
By working in the background, we can suggest ideas and updates to you, allowing your business to continue while we work on assisting your growth.
If you’d be interested in a new ICT system or getting an updated model, why not get in touch with us? You’ll find a form on the Contact page. Alternatively, you could give us a ring on 01332 322 588. All our chats are, of course, obligation-free, but we’ll do our best to help you out and discuss how our services could benefit your organisation.
