Security Tips for Remote Working: Keeping Your Team Safe Beyond the Office

Working from home might feel like you’ve left the office. But in many ways, your business is still right there, on laptops, tablets, and networks that are no longer concentrated under one roof. With the workplace boundary expanding into home offices, cafés, and mobile locations, it’s important to make sure your team is working safely and smartly.

The good news? you don’t need to complicate things. Secure devices, secure connections and good habits go a long way. And when those are lined up, your business can keep moving forward confidently.

1. Secure the work-device

Your laptop is your frontline. It’s often the portal to your internal systems, sensitive data and cloud services. When that machine isn’t managed securely, a breach at home can become a business incident.

• Always use devices approved by your company. Avoid personal computers, tablets or phones unless they’re managed by IT. 
• Ensure anti-virus/anti-malware is installed, real-time monitoring is enabled, and updates and patches are applied automatically. The “keep devices and software updated” advice is repeated in every remote-work guide. 
• Lock the device when idle, don’t leave it unattended (even at home), and don’t mix personal browsing or shopping on the same machine used for business. 
• Set unique strong passphrases and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for device login and for business applications. While this overlaps with accounts/access (see section 3), it also ties directly into device security. 

2. Use secure connections. Because home networks vary

When your team works remotely, the connection between their device and your business systems becomes one of the most important parts of your security chain. And unlike the office, where you control the entire network, home setups are unpredictable. Some staff have great routers, others have decade-old devices with weak passwords, and some might be sharing Wi-Fi with kids’ gaming consoles, smart home devices and visitors.

You may not be able to upgrade every employee’s home network and realistically, most businesses won’t. But you can make sure they’re connecting in a secure and consistent way.

• Use a trusted VPN when accessing internal systems or sensitive data. This replicates the office-network protection remotely. 
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi for business tasks, or if you must, use the VPN and ensure the connection is encrypted. 
• If using a home network: change default router passwords, use strong Wi-Fi encryption, and apply firmware updates when available. 
• Be aware of the “zero trust” mindset: don’t assume the home environment is safe, and verify access, traffic and devices accordingly. 

3. Protect accounts & access. Because credentials remain the weak link

Remote working puts more pressure on identity and access controls because staff are logging in from different places, different networks and sometimes different devices. Attackers know this and often try to steal credentials instead of breaking into systems. When you strengthen your logins using MFA, strong passphrases and the right access levels, you block one of the easiest and most common ways cybercriminals get in.

• Turn on MFA for all business-related logins (cloud services, email, VPN, remote desktops). Resources repeatedly identify MFA as one of the most effective protections. 
• Use strong, unique passphrases – not recycled passwords. Password managers are recommended to support this. 
• Don’t mix work and non-work accounts or devices. Stay clear who is using what. 
• Regularly review account permissions: ensure users have only the access they need, and audit remote login patterns. 

4. Backup & separate work data

Even with strong protection, incidents happen. When devices are remote, backups matter even more.

• Use approved cloud storage or encrypted external drives to store work data. Automate backups where possible. 
• Have a clear incident-response path: if a device is lost/stolen or compromised, you must be able to wipe it, recover data and continue working. 
• Make sure you distinguish between personal and business data. Keep them separated so business backups and policies don’t get tangled with personal files. 

5. Habits, training & policy matter. Your human layer of defence

Technology will only take you so far; the rest comes down to your people, their habits and your policies.

• Set clear remote-work policies: what devices are allowed, what networks are acceptable, how to report issues or lost/stolen devices. 
• Remind the team to think before they click. Phishing remains a top threat, especially for remote workers who might be more isolated from immediate IT support. 
• Train regularly, refresh reminders, and simulate scenarios so remote staff remain aware of the risks. 
• Encourage the team to work in a way that reflects your business standards — even at home. For example, avoid doing highly sensitive tasks in public cafés, lock screens, don’t share devices, and keep data access against your policies. 

Why it all adds up and how Insight IT supports you

Remote working doesn’t have to mean reduced security. When you line up the elements above: secure device, safe connection, strong account controls, reliable backups, and good habits, you build a remote-work environment that supports flexibility and business resilience.

At Insight IT, we partner with you to make sure those protections are in place and working:

• We manage and monitor your remote endpoints, keeping anti-virus/anti-malware up-to-date, checking for suspicious activity, and ensuring patches are applied.
• We set up access, identity and MFA controls across your remote staff.
• We review and reinforce your remote connectivity: VPNs, remote sessions, device legitimacy and secure access.
• We configure and oversee your backup systems and data protection strategies for remote teams.
• We provide regular training, awareness and policy check-ins so your people stay alert, engaged and aligned with your business’ security goals.

If you’d like to review your remote-work security, talk through your current setup or book a free consultation, we’d be glad to help. Let’s make remote working safe, straightforward and effective so you stay focused on growing your business, not worrying about IT.