It has become more and more common for organizations to ask their employees to work from home over the last couple of years. There is however a risk that remote working can result in additional cyber threats as a result of the rush to do so.
It is essentially crucial to ensure the safety of your data when your staff or you are working outside the normal working environment in which they are used to.
In order to secure your database systems, you may first want to create a new account to create a sense of security, or you may want to access systems that require you to use strong passwords such as two-factor authentication, if it is available.
In addition, it may be a good idea to consider new tools for collaboration, such as chat rooms, video conferences or document sharing, that staff might require in order to do their jobs.
With the use of more technology in your real estate business, you will be able to increase your productivity and efficiency. On the other hand, it must also be said that data protection has become more important than ever before.
If you store your information online, we strongly believe that the benefits outweigh the risks associated with doing so. However, in order for this to be the case, you must maintain effective privacy protections. Here’s why data protection matters.
Keeping your data safe
Every day, your real estate business handles a lot of sensitive data, including social security numbers and company EINs. Maintaining effective privacy protections is crucial to tenants, investors, and clients. Even if you’re highly skilled at your job, people will have trouble trusting your company if this sensitive information is not protected.
Transacting with Data Protection
The real estate industry requires data protection at every stage, from the initial purchase to the sale. Compromised email caused $1.8 billion in losses, according to a global industry report . One in three transactions is also targeted by fraud, according to title and escrow companies. Although recovery is possible, prevention is better.
Information Storage and Retention
In order to effectively store and organize your information, regardless of whether it is kept in a file cabinet, on a hard drive, or in the cloud, it is of utmost importance to maintain a proper storage and organization system.
There is nothing more frustrating than having to spend time looking for the wrong information just when you need it.
However, you must also ensure that it won’t be accidentally deleted or accessed by the wrong person or hacked if you don’t want to risk losing it by accident.
Every business has its own needs and requirements, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all business solution. You should take the time to find a highly-secure, trustworthy, and reliable storage solution that best suits the needs of your business.
Identifying and mitigating data risks
In any case, there is always the possibility that personally identifiable information will be misused. It is essential that you think about what could happen in the worst-case scenario in order to ensure that your client’s and tenant’s data can be protected from any threats that may arise in the future. In order to safeguard your data, it is important that you have policies and practices in place, such as:
What data is allowed to be accessed and for what purpose is it allowed to be accessed
What is the location and method of encrypting the sensitive data that you have stored?
If you experience a data breach or other type of issue, what should you do?
What is the length of time you will store the data for (for example, will you delete data once a tenant’s lease is up or an investor has ceased to work with you?)
How-to documents are necessary for new software that staff will use, for existing applications that will be used differently, and even for more basic elements such as ‘How to login to and use an online collaboration tool’.
Encrypt data in transit, so that data on the device is protected if it is lost or stolen. Most modern devices have the ability to encrypt their data, however this may need to be turned on and configured by the user.
It’s important to set up mobile devices with a standard configuration, and also to be able to remotely lock devices, erase data, and retrieve a backup of your device using mobile device management (MDM) tools.
Make sure that your VPNs are patched, and keep in mind that additional licenses, capacity, or bandwidth may be needed if you have a limited number of remote users within your organization.
In case a device is lost or stolen, make sure the staff knows what to do and what to do first. The report should include who needs to be contacted, as employees like to avoid getting in trouble as much as possible so it is important to make sure they are able to report lost devices without feeling blamed.
Despite the fact that USB drives are capable of storing a great deal of sensitive data, they can also be easily lost and can provide malware with an easy way into computers. In order to reduce the risk of security breaches, you can do the following:
In MDM settings, you can disable removable media in order to prevent data loss
As appropriate, use antivirus software to prevent viruses from infecting your computer
Using only the products that are provided by the organization as a source of information
On removable media, it is important to protect data at rest by encrypting it
Ask the staff to use alternative means of transferring files, such as cloud storage or collaboration tools, to transfer files
Conclusion
Almost every day, cyber criminals are trying to take advantage of unsuspecting people and trick them into clicking on a malicious link that is at the bottom of an email.
It is recommended that you run a full scan of your antivirus software, if you have it installed. Make sure you follow any instructions that are given to you. In the event that you have been tricked into providing your password, you should change the passwords on all of your other accounts as well. Contact your IT department if you are using a work device and let them know you are using it.
Remote working poses a greater threat to your security when compared with working from an office, and it is important to understand why.
We are at risk as long as we are connected to the internet – but when you’re at work, in the office, you’re usually using a network that has antivirus software, firewalls, and automatic backup features that keep you safe online.
This makes it very difficult for any malware to be able to access your device or for any personal information to be discovered on it.