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Steps to Secure IT - When Plan to Return Office

Are you planning to return to the office? Read on how to approach proper planning, which helps to ensure employee's safety and proper work environment.

By Layer One NetworksPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Last year, organizations were forced to shift their work remotely, and many were caught unprepared to implement impromptu solutions.

There were no details of how to support employees during this time in a global pandemic. Let's fast forward to today; we all have learned about resilience and business continuity. Now vaccines have rolled out, and restrictions are somewhat loosened. Organizations have started to evaluate when they can reopen offices - in three months or six months. Regardless of the timeline, you need to start planning now.

To ensure a successful transition with IT support and avoid last-minute confusion, we have found key steps when planning your strategy to return to the office.

Steps to secure IT from Remote to In-Office work

Appoint a project leader

Your company needs an IT support specialist to plan the secure merging of a remote and on-premise IT consulting firm. Determine who will be in charge when you transition back to the office and what role your department will play. Who will ensure targets are met? Who will ensure how a return could impact clients? Your IT leader will handle all of this transition and need to plan technical responsibilities and obstacles within your business.

Backup your critical data

Your business requires a complete data backup strategy guide before they wipe remote employee devices. You need to have programs that ensure your business-sensitive information is recovered easily after user errors through quick restore and export. It is crucial for some of the vital data that might be subject to federal and state privacy regulations.

Review your BC/DR and BYOD plans

Determine whether your company wants to support, revise or eliminate any Business Continuity and BYOD policies that were published before the pandemic. What will you carry on from your transition to remote work that can be applied back to the office? Possibly if your company is looking to incorporate flexible remote work with managed IT services permanently. Are your plans updated to reflect this structural change? Ensure and review enough that safety protocols are in place to store sensitive data, collaborative applications, and company networks.

Conduct Audit and security gap analysis

Employees need continuous connectivity, performance, and access to critical applications in the office, at home, or wherever work takes your employees.

Review and classify any mobile devices that were placed to assist with remote work. Analyze whether the technology is secure, proper, and enough to support employee productivity. Have your IT consulting firm run an audit to ensure updated operating systems. When returning to the office, employees should know that logging activity and network monitoring baselines may change. Make sure that current solutions have the proper approach to avoid any false alerts.

Communicate new procedural and security policies

Companies are transitioning back to the office more. It is essential to keep employees informed about how their workflow will change. Will you remain available in the office or provide an optional remote work program? What are the steps to be taken to delete sensitive and confidential company data from personal devices?

How will your company make sure local documents are stored properly in your company resource? Keep your employees informed about the migration process to prepare with their devices and take the necessary help. If your organization is moving employees on-site and need help with IT support, you can reach our IT consulting services. We will provide guidance and deployment of enterprise-level IT support.

Evaluate new technology

If your organization has deployed any remote resources, it's time to review them. Now, remote work is a part of the new normal. The hybrid office will be the main destination for team meetings, social gatherings, and highly collaborative projects with creative brainstorming.

Are they meeting the requirements of your remote employees? Are you spending on services that already exist in your tech storage? Earlier in 2020, companies chose to use Zoom despite already paying for the Microsoft 365 stack of services. Microsoft Teams offer you calling, meeting, chat, and collaborative capacities for remote employees within it. Teams are capable more, and it allows businesses to optimize existing services rather than new IT expenditure.

Reopen with complete assurance

There are many things to consider when you are transitioning to a hybrid work model and reopening your office. On that note, organizations must identify which employees will return to the office and remain working remotely. Understand how employees will communicate and connect, how they can access the tools they need, and enhance their efforts to ensure employee safety.

We understand that each office tackles its own unique set of challenges and considerations when reopening. With our managed IT services, we can guide you to identify the right technologies for your organization. It will help you to improve the experience of employees and ensure a safe return to the office.

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About the Creator

Layer One Networks

We are IT Consulting Firm that helps to upsurge your business growth with our highly skilled team of IT experts. We provide the best IT support such as firewall protection, cloud services, VoIP, help desk, and server support.

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