Keeping your data secure in a WFH world
It’s said that possession is ninetenths of the law. As a society, we understand that there’s a significant distinction between things you can grasp and manage, versus things that are under the gaze and control of others – and we need rules to handle cases when real-world practicalities don’t line up with abstract principles of property.
It’s a situation that can easily apply to company data when people are working from home (WFH), using self-managed hardware on domestic network connections. It’s a tricky topic, and it’s only going to get more complicated as businesses begin phased returns to the office. This is likely to see people hopping back and forth between company and personal resources, and needing to move information back and forth between the two – or access it from both.
The specifics of data protection will be unique to every company, but there are some issues that every firm ought to be considering. Issues to help minimise the likelihood of sensitive information being put at risk, and to avoid being the next company forced to put out a humiliating statement admitting to a data leak.
The “who’s Mum?” rule
The first step is to take stock of who’s actually controlling what data. To explain what I mean by that, think about buying an plane ticket (if your memory goes back that far). From your perspective, the process may involve nothing more than a few
