Regardless of whether it’s summer vacation or the winter holiday season, the likelihood of needing to work remotely is significant. With numerous employees traveling and working remotely during various holidays throughout the year, ensuring IT security and accessibility outside the office can be quite challenging. It’s essential for you and your employees to have your IT systems properly configured and to adhere to best practices while traveling and working from home.
What potential risks and frustrations might you face without an appropriate IT setup?
Holiday travel can expose you to various risks. The hectic nature of traveling often leads people to seek ways to make work or other tasks less stressful. Cyberattacks are opportunistic, preying on those who relax or take cybersecurity shortcuts, using methods ranging from simple snooping to more complex techniques.
“If you’re using public Wi-Fi and your laptop isn’t properly secured, people could be screen-sniping you, or you could fall victim to keylogging,” explains Michael Parker, Director at Ategra. “Keylogging occurs when someone loads a small program onto your device because it’s not secured properly, allowing them to see everything on your screen and every key you press. You should also be aware of your surroundings, as someone could be screen-sniping by looking over your shoulder to gather your usernames and passwords.”
Micheal also warns about ransomware attacks and other common cyberattack methods that can lurk in public Wi-Fi networks. While public Wi-Fi is often seen as a safe and convenient resource for remote workers, it provides a space for bad actors to wreak havoc on your devices.
“Without IT protections in place, these risks are present when using any public Wi-Fi, even for a short time while you’re not traveling,” he says. “This applies to airports, train stations, coffee shops, hotels, and more.”
In addition to these risks, you might face technology-related frustrations while traveling and working remotely over the holidays. Reaching out to an unresponsive in-house IT team and dealing with potentially outdated hardware and software can lead to lost productivity and additional stress.
“If your IT isn’t set up correctly, you might not be able to work,” says Michael. “It could be something as simple but annoying as not being able to connect back to your business’s network and resources correctly. Imagine needing to connect to your office’s on-premises server, SharePoint, or another cloud drive while you’re back home for the holidays. What will you do if you’re on vacation and suddenly realize your machine can’t connect to the resources you need? And what happens when you can’t reach your IT department for help?”
How to Avoid IT Risks and Frustrations During Holiday Travel and Remote Work
The last thing any business owner or employee wants to encounter while traveling and working remotely during the holidays is IT trouble. Here are five tips and best practices to help you prepare for remote work and ensure peace of mind during the holidays:
- Keep your devices and programs updated with the latest patches.
- Test connectivity on all your devices to your server, cloud services, and other resources.
- Use a virtual private network (VPN) and test the connection before traveling.
- Be aware of your surroundings when working in public places.
- Connect with your IT provider before traveling or working remotely.
“If you have a managed IT provider, you’re automatically way ahead of the game,” says Michael. “For example, our Managed IT Services (MITS) at Ategra are powered by a team of experts who ensure you have the right software installed, your devices are up to date, you can access what you need, and proactive monitoring is in place. All this is taken care of for you, so you don’t have to worry about risks like ransomware or viruses while traveling, and when you get home, you can start working right away.”
Even with managed IT, tech headaches can happen when you least expect them. As an Ategra client, Michael says their IT Engineers are ready to provide responsive support when IT issues occur, whether you’re on vacation or working from home.
“We’re always here,” he says. “Even over the holidays while you’re on vacation, you can count on us to help you. Let’s say you have a VPN issue, or you forget your password. No matter what issue you’re experiencing, you can call us or submit a ticket, and we’ll take care of it for you.”
Why Count on Ategra for Peace of Mind During the Holidays?
Michael emphasizes that one of the key advantages for Ategra clients is their commitment to staying ahead of potential issues.
“Before any major or extended holidays, we hold meetings to ensure our clients are well-informed,” he explains. “What differentiates us from our competitors is our proactive approach. We don’t wait for problems to arise; we anticipate our clients’ needs and prepare in advance to prevent issues from occurring.”
Even if an Ategra Managed IT client encounters a problem while traveling or working remotely during the holidays, Michael says this proactive strategy makes resolving the issue much smoother.
“By practicing proactive IT, we can respond quickly,” he says. “You won’t have to wait for days while we diagnose and fix the problem. We’ll ensure you can get back online as soon as possible.”
Michael assures that Ategra is dedicated to making remote work during the holidays stress-free.
“We’re always here to help, and our clients know that. We focus on maintaining efficient IT systems to make their lives easier, allowing them to enjoy quality time with their families and have a peaceful holiday season.”
Ready to get started with managed IT before you travel and work remotely over the holidays? Contact us today on 08 8932 7888 or via email to ategra@ategra.au.
Happy Holidays
