Mobile-reliant field workers encounter more data security risks compared to office workers. They connect using a public Wi-Fi (which hackers love to exploit) and consistently rely on the Internet of Things (IoT) to accomplish their duties. It’s always a good idea for any company with mobile field workers to maintain good practices when it comes to data security in the field. This article explain Best Data Security Practices for Mobile-Reliant Field Workers.
Basic Data Security Education
ZDNet advises having a solid security policy in place for your company’s mobile workers. This is especially true if your business abides by the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOB) scheme, which simply means that employees may use their own smartphones and other IoT devices for work.
While this can save your business money, it also poses certain risks as employees who use their own devices may also access potentially unsecure apps and websites.
Whether or not you follow the BYOB trend, here’s what your field employees should keep in mind when accessing IoT devices.
Keep all software updated
Keep your software up-to-date – it’s the single, simplest way to make sure that connected devices have fundamental software protection.
Mobile employees should also use a secure pin, and never connect to public Wi-Fi networks, which tend to be fishing grounds for hackers.
You should also backup field devices, and in the case of truly sensitive data, encrypt devices for extra security. And if employees lose their devices, it should be reported immediately.
This is not everything you can do for mobile data security, but following these basic rules can be enough to make it significantly harder for enterprising hackers to steal your data.
Leverage Field Work Management Software
Today’s vital tech advances have spurred the development of a wide variety of work management software designed for mobile use across different industries.
These usually come with their own data security measures in order to protect both customers and product/service providers. A ‘Field Service Management Software’ post by Verizon Connect details how logistics companies use data security in telematics and it involves a variety of factors for securing customer-entrusted files.
This includes driver IDs, logins, restricted data access, and a carrier-grade data centre with full reporting options for consistent data security monitoring.
Authentication via Hardware
Authentication measures that are built into hardware aren’t something new. The same concept has been applied in licensing technologies and tokenisation.
However, Intel takes the idea to the next level with its sixth-generation Core vPro processor, which Tech Beacon explains has authentication already built into its hardware. This makes field devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones physical parts of the authentication process.
Combined with traditional identity verification and authentication methods, this tech can greatly strengthen your company’s overall data security.
Leverage Specialized Encryption Software
Kruptos 2 Go is an example of an encryption software tool that can provide password-protection for USB and hard drives. Even if your hard-baked authenticated hardware gets lost or stolen, this type of software can serve as another strong layer of defence against would-be data thieves targeting your company.
Ensuring the data security of your company’s mobile-reliant field workers is an important job. While the aforementioned methods work today, the world of cyber security is constantly changing. This means that you also need to keep yourself updated on the latest mobile threats, IoT vulnerabilities, and news from the field.
Final thoughts, always remember below data security practices for Mobile-Reliant field workers,
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- Be aware of your surroundings
- Physically deter with the use of a locks
- Always update apps and software
- Avoid public Wi-Fi networks
- Don’t reuse personal passwords for work
- Encrypt your files before moving (Kruptos seamlessly integrates with all major cloud providers) to Dropbox and iCloud
- Download Kruptos 2 Pro to encrypt your sensitive files
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What data security practices you follow for your mobile-reliant field workers? Share your thoughts below!
