This archive report was first published on 24 May 2020.
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to challenge countries globally, organisations are turning to remote work to keep employees healthy, productive, and connected. However, this shift also raises critical questions about data security and compliance.
According to a recent article published on The Standard on May 24, 2020, organisations must remain in control and protect sensitive documents while employees work remotely. One way to do this is by using tools that encrypt data at rest and in transport, such as Microsoft Teams, which uses secure real-time protocol for video, audio, and desktop sharing.
Another crucial step is to restrict access for guests and people outside of the organisation, and govern the apps to which each user has access. This can be achieved by setting up data loss prevention (DLP) policies in remote working apps, which can protect data and take specific actions when sensitive information is shared.
For instance, if someone attempts to share a document with guests in a Teams channel or chat, and the document contains sensitive information, a DLP policy can prevent the document from opening for those users. Additionally, organisations can apply sensitivity labels to important documents and associate them with protection policies and actions like encryption, visual marking, and access controls.
By implementing these measures, organisations can ensure that their data and intellectual property are safeguarded, even in a remote work environment. As the country manager of Microsoft Kenya notes, 'stressed events contribute to the likelihood of insider risks, such as leakages, IP theft, or data harassment.' Therefore, it is essential for organisations to put in place tools to identify potential suspicious activity early.
