What Is Digital Distancing?

We have all heard of social distancing, but what about digital distancing? If you’re a business owner, this is a term that you may have come across, but what exactly is it?

Just as the pandemic rages on, so to do cybercriminals. The best way to avoid the threat they pose is to engage in digital distancing. This is a practice you should use to put space between your work devices and anybody intent on causing your business harm.

This is especially important now as you let your employees work from remote locations. Should a hacker gain access to the devices and networks they are using, there could be catastrophic results. 

How To Incorporate Digital Distancing

Your main goal is to minimize the number of networks, servers, and other devices that your business devices come into contact with. You can do this by encouraging your employees to work on business-related servers only, or by reducing the number of work-related devices they use in the office or at home.

It’s about limiting the opportunities hackers have to gain hold of the sensitive data that may be held on your network. And it’s also about isolating user access, so even if one device is affected by malware, it won’t have a chance to spread further. 

To ensure your digital distancing efforts are successful, you should:

Work with a managed IT provider

If you don’t currently have an IT team in your employ, it is in your best interests to outsource to a professional team. An IT company in Englewood can help you create digital distancing plans to secure your networks, and a trusted provider will use the latest antivirus and malware software to keep your devices safe.

Manage your video conferencing security

You will probably be using video conferencing now more than ever, especially if you are working remotely. This is understandable, but cyber criminals have now found ways to hack into these video calls. They can interrupt your meetings, create a breach in your company’s system, and share malicious data.

This has become known as Zoom bombing, and all kinds of computer users are being affected by these attacks. To protect your video calls, follow digital distancing protocols, such as limiting the number of people who are invited to your video calls and reducing the number of people who have the link to your chat rooms. You should also ensure that only call leaders have the option to share their screens as administrators.

Encourage your employees to follow good habits

Encourage your employees to:

• Limit the number of devices they use
• Only use their work-related devices on one server and router
• Keep their anti-virus software up to date
• Keep their home smart devices off their home office network
• Avoid dangerous links sent to their emails
• Use strong passwords to protect their devices

You should follow the same principles, be that in your home or in your business premises. 

Keeping Your Business Secure

Keeping your work-related devices safe from malware and hacking attempts is a priority, as any attack could result in a breach of your data. Through digital distancing, you can limit the number of devices that are used, isolate them from your other devices, servers, and networks, and place a limit on what your employees use within your business.