WEBVTT 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:14.000 Hey everyone, I’m Ben Schmerler and welcome to DP Solutions Tech Tips Series. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:25.000 You may have heard the news recently that companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and others are encouraging their staff to work from home in order to limit the spread of the Coronavirus and keep their staff safe. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:33.000 I don’t think anybody knows what’s going to happen next, but it’s possible that in the near future, similar measures could happen with your office. 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:37.000 In light of these concerns, I have a few tips for working remotely. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:44.000 Number 1: If you can, try to leverage centralized Cloud services to work on and share data. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:50.000 When you work in an office environment, you might take for granted the conveniences being in the office gives you. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:54.000 For example, if you need someone, you can walk over to their desk and have a chat. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:01:00.000 If you want to collaborate on a document, you can print it out and mark it up in an office or conference room. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:06.000 Fortunately, there are many services that can help keep this same kind of workflow going without you being physically present. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.000 One example is Microsoft Teams. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:16.000 This is a communication and collaboration tool that allows conferencing, file sharing, instant messaging, and many other cool features. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:26.000 A few days ago, Microsoft announced that they will be making Teams free to use for 6 months as their way of encouraging remote work for those who have yet to use the product. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:33.000 I highly recommend utilizing this tool if you haven’t already, as it can deliver a lot of productivity when your team can’t be together. 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:37.000 But whatever tools you use, make sure you and your staff are on the same page. 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:43.000 While you want tools that don’t require you to be in the same place, you still want to keep control on where your data lives. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:49.000 Number 2: When working remotely, don’t forget to keep up your general security practices. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:54.000 No matter where you work, you still need good management to keep your devices and data safe. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:05.000 Some of the basics include having strong anti-virus and anti-malware software, patch management procedures to keep products up to date, spam filtering for email, and data backups. 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:13.000 Make sure that you have physical control over your devices, because if they contain sensitive information, it is critical to keep that data private and controlled. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:20.000 Also, remember that when you are working remotely, all your collaboration is done over the public web. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:25.000 So, when you send data back and forth to your coworkers, that information may be visible to unauthorized people. 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:31.000 Be sure to use encryption tools like a VPN or encrypted email when sending sensitive information. 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:41.000 You also need to make sure that the people accessing your accounts are who they say they are. So look into deploying Multi-Factor Authentication on your sensitive accounts. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:50.000 This provides a second source of validation, like a text message or verification on a mobile device app, to verify a user’s identity before they can access their accounts. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:55.000 Number 3: Watch out for social engineering and phishing attacks. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:02.000 If your boss walked into your office and asked you to cut a check or submit a wire transfer for a large amount of money, you would do it without question. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:06.000 That’s your boss, after all, and you don’t want to get in trouble! 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:12.000 But when you get a similar request via email or other digital communication, how can you be sure that it’s legitimate? 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:15.000 The truth is you often don’t know for sure. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:18.000 Know what red flags to look out for… 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:23.000 Is the sender asking you to click on a link to avoid a negative consequence or gain something of value? 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:27.000 Is the email out of the ordinary or does it have bad grammar or spelling errors? 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:31.000 Are they sending you an attachment that you weren’t expecting or that doesn’t make sense? 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:35.000 These clues all point to a potential phishing attack. 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:40.000 So make sure you maintain a level of skepticism when it comes to digital communications you send and receive. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:43.000 There are tons of ideas to discuss surrounding this topic. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:50.000 I’ll be hosting a webinar on March 25 with a further look into Creating Productive Workspaces Outside the Office. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:54.000 This is a great chance for you to learn more about this topic and participate in some live Q&A. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:59.000 I’ll post the details after this video and I encourage you to attend. 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:03.000 As always, please feel free to reach out with questions, comments, and feedback. 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:07.000 Thanks for watching! Until next time, stay vigilant my friends!