Save your organization a collective headache with software and hardware that make remote work easier, safer, and more secure.
by Cody Lents, partner and change manager, COVI, Inc.
With nearly 42% of the American workforce continuing to work remotely, you’ve undoubtedly had firsthand experience with an unreliable home connection, or tried connecting with a peer who has had challenges. A normally fine broadband connection can suddenly come to a grinding halt when family members and neighbors all sign on for remote work and school.
The easy solution? Higher speeds and more bandwidth. Unfortunately, that is not always available. The best alternative? A dedicated hotspot.
Establishing a reliable home connection
While mobile hotspots work great in a pinch to provide connectivity when and where you need it, a dedicated hotspot device can offer even more capability — allowing you to tap into organizational resources via a VPN pass-through, and options that enable users to block devices and “whitelist” media access control (MAC) for added security. Additionally, it allows you to make calls and use the data connection on your phone without draining its battery as a hotspot.
The Skyroam Solis (to leverage AT&T and T-Mobile networks) and Verizon JetPack are two great examples of a dedicated device that will ensure your team never experiences a glitchy, lagging Zoom call again.
Securing personal devices for work
An IBM Survey found that 53% of remote workers are on a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, using their personal devices for work. However, about 61% of respondents say their employer provided no tools on how to properly secure those devices. The use of personal devices for work puts your organization’s data at risk of cyber-attack.
Implementing a security infrastructure, such as a VPN or gateway is the best investment your organization can make to ensure the safety and security of your technology:
Virtualized remote services
Solutions like Microsoft’s RDS/Published Apps, Citrix, or AWS’ App Stream, enable organizations to allow their employees remote and secure access to their infrastructure’s resources. By tapping into their physical office PCs, employees have access to all the applications, data and resources they need to do their work — eliminating the need for any other virtual desktops/applications to accommodate teleworking. Virtualized Remote Access can provide aa safe, secure option for all.
Alternatively, Amazon offers two options that facilitate connection to your dedicated digital infrastructure via its IT management subsidiary, Amazon Web Services (AWS):
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), such as the AWS-managed VPN, enable you to create an encrypted connection over the public Internet between a private Amazon cloud and your organization’s infrastructure, allowing for the application of your existing security policies.
VPNs are a convenient connectivity option for smaller organizations just beginning with AWS, though utilizing public internet can present some security concern for those looking to better protect their data. However, such security policies are invasive and can cause issues and confusion if connected to BYOD devices without clearly articulated and accepted company policies.
AWS-Direct Connect bypasses public Internet and establishes a secure connection from your organization’s infrastructure into AWS by connecting an Ethernet cable from your router into another AWS Direct Connect router. This option is great for organizations that are seeking secure, ultra-low latency connectivity. Though the process can be more involved, Direct Connect provides a predictable network performance and 60% cost savings.
Questions?
If you need assistance making remote work smoother for your organization, reach out to COVI at cody@gocovi.com for help. COVI is an Information Technology (IT) agency specializing in productivity, security, support and strategy services, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
