Here's how you can safeguard data security and privacy with remote IT teams.

Securing data with remote IT teams requires a strong strategy. First, use VPNs and end-to-end encryption to protect data in transit, ensuring it's shielded as it moves between remote sites and your main servers. Implement strict access controls and multi-factor authentication to restrict data access to authorized personnel only, updating these permissions as necessary. Lastly, provide regular security training for your remote teams to educate them on current cybersecurity threats and best practices, such as recognizing phishing attacks and creating secure passwords. This approach helps maintain a secure, aware organizational culture.

Explore concepts such as "always-on" vpn, and require connections to company resources require authentication and vpn. Rotate the keys used based on a shift or half-shift mindset. These keys should only last 4 to 8 hours before the user needs to reconnect with the vpn on a new session. This ensure attackers have a short window to reuse sessions, compromise keys, and forge authentication. Securing remote workers is more risky because you can't baseline their home networks or systems.

Beyond basic security measures such as strong authentication and VPN, it is important to conduct continuous security training, perform threat monitoring and detection, manage devices and access, maintain data encryption, have clear policies and effective communication, and conduct regular penetration testing.

1.Secure Communication Channels Use multi-factor authentication and strong passwords. Limit access to sensitive data and use principle of least privilege, Encourage the use of VPNs for accessing company resources. All communication should be done over secure, encrypted channels. 2.Conduct regular training sessions to educate your remote IT team about the latest threats and how to handle them. 3.Develop and communicate a clear data security policy outlining acceptable use of company resources, data handling procedures, and reporting protocols for security incidents 4.Encourage open communication about security concerns and incidents to identify and address issues promptly

In my experience, no matter where the IT team is located, one fundamental control is DLP - Data Loss Prevention - policy and tools. Because, once the team has access to the data, even with secure methods such as 2FA and encryption, data can still be exposure if the organization does not control how, when and why information is shared with outside individuals and/or organizations.

"Audit" is an ugly word to a lot of people. So it may not hurt to use something a little less intimidating. But you have to review your systems, infrastructure, builds, etc. You have to periodically check to make sure things were built and maintained according to your standards. Otherwise, institutional drift will happen without you, and you end up with ALL of the tech debt.

Besides normative mandates, embrace technologies that can secure your environment while NOT impacting coworkers experience, like SSE (Security Service Edge (SSE) is the specific subset of SASE components associated with security (SWG, CASB, and ZTNA), which provides secure access to the web, software as a service, and private applications, keeping attackers out and sensitive data in), ZTNA and DLP.

Consider implementing the following measures: Utilize encrypted communication tools for sharing sensitive information to prevent unauthorized access. Enforce multi-factor authentication for accessing company systems and databases to add an extra layer of security. Restrict access to sensitive data based on job roles and responsibilities to minimize the risk of data breaches. Require remote team members to connect through VPNs to secure their internet connections and data transmissions. Conduct regular training sessions on data security best practices for remote team members to ensure awareness and compliance. By implementing these measures, you can enhance data security and privacy when working with remote IT teams.

Remember that ALL IT is remote. Even if your team drives into an office each day, the servers they are working on are not under their desks (usually). The challenges we face with remote management of systems are not new in the industry.