Connecticut Business Centers

The typical office space has its own security measures to prevent unauthorized access and keep data and other office property safe. However, virtual offices work differently and require other ways to protect sensitive information and restrict access to data.

Read on as Connecticut Business Centers discusses virtual office data security and more in this article.

What Are Virtual Offices?

Unlike a normal office space, a virtual office provides a business address to a business without having a physical office space. In this setup, employees can work from home or digitally while the company maintains a physical presence. A virtual office offers several business services, including call answering, mail management and the ability to have your own dedicated phone line, all while presenting the business owner with an exclusive location that would normally come at a high rental expense.

Virtual offices have become a popular way to run a business, as current technology has bridged the gap needed to successfully provide business owners and employees a way to produce results without having to be in the same physical space as one another. Benefits of virtual offices include excellent flexibility, cost-effective solutions when it comes to logistics, and improved productivity in certain types of tasks.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a major concern when it comes to running a virtual business, as most, if not all, of the work procedures and sensitive information is processed digitally. Cloud services, for example, are one of the most used mediums in virtual and hybrid workspaces. A typical office space uses pen and paper methods, storing sensitive paperwork and files in secure filing cabinets and archives, whereas a virtual office can forego the traditional ways to fill out information by having cloud services process and store the data instead. Since cloud services are accessible by everyone in a certain network, they need to be properly secured and monitored to prevent hacking and other illicit activity.

Network Security

Network security involves using antiviruses, firewalls and encryption to prevent hackers and other intruders from accessing private channels and networks. Currently, most virtual offices use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to create secure end-to-end channels that only specific individuals can access. Think of it as a special tunnel for delivering information and other valuable data with locked doors that only you and your management can open with special keys.

In a normal office space, sensitive data can be stolen or viewed by intruders by physically entering the office grounds or by intercepting the delivery of the paperwork. Network intrusions work in the same way, with hackers trespassing into private networks and intercepting data that is sent through public networks.

VPNs reduce this threat significantly by creating secure channels and preventing unauthorized access. There are also many other ways to upgrade network security, such as using a Domain Name System (DNS) service. The DNS is a system that converts a computer’s host name into an IP address. For instance, if your computer needs to communicate with a specific web server, you’ll need the web server’s IP address. If your company employs a DNS service, you will have to register your devices under your company’s IP, and only those devices can access your company’s private network.

Teleconferencing Security

Remote working schemes typically use teleconferencing to hold meetings and team communication across the internet. This replaces the usual closed-door meetings in a regular office space setting. As these are meetings that will discuss sensitive information that is privy only to select management members and staff, each teleconferencing session must be secure. Most teleconferencing platforms today have a password feature and virtual waiting rooms intended for participant screening, so taking advantage of these features can help in preventing unwanted access to otherwise classified meetings.

Email Encryption

Email encryption is another cybersecurity measure employed by many virtual offices and businesses to protect outgoing and incoming communication and files sent through emails.

Encryption is a method of safeguarding data by mathematically encoding it so that only those with the correct key or cipher may read or decrypt it. Unless you’re authorized to view or access the data, digital encryption procedures convert it using an algorithm that renders the original information unreadable. This is a feature a typical office space wouldn’t have as creating encrypted texts through physical documents is time-consuming and risky.

To give you a better idea, think of your regular email. When you send it to someone via normal emailing platforms, hackers can easily view it and read it once they can access it. With encrypted emails, even if hackers manage to intercept and get the contents of the email, their systems don’t have the proper encryption keys or ciphers to decrypt it. On the hacker’s end, it’ll be just an email filled with a jumble of letters and numbers with no discernable patterns.

Password and Multiple Authentication Processes

Another simple but effective way to secure your virtual office data is to regularly change passwords and have multiple authentication processes. Changing passwords regularly prevents unauthorized access as only select individuals will have the updated password in hand. If someone tries to access it with an old password repeatedly, they’ll immediately get flagged for suspicious behavior. In a standard office space, think of it as changing locks and keys to a secure room that only employees can access.

Multiple authentication processes further increase the security of your passwords. They work by having multiple ways to confirm your identity, such as sending codes and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to devices only you can access. There are also security questions that ask specific questions only you know the answer to, thereby confirming your identity and allowing you access.

Office space provider Connecticut Business Centers is the company that can provide you and your staff with the best custom workspace experience. We make sure that each of our clients gets the working environment they prefer under flexible rates.

Get the finest custom workspace solution in Stamford, CT, today by filling out our contact form or calling us at (203) 359-5600.