4.
How to Ensure Privacy
The topic of technology and privacy is top of mind for just about everyone. Topics such as digital data transfer, password security, cloud storage vulnerability, and even how often we share personal photos and information on social media can keep anyone up at night. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
So how privacy plays into the topic of virtual employment is not only paramount, but heavily layered. It might be easy to assume that the responsibility of ensuring privacy is first and foremost that of the employer. But we would argue that an employee plays an equally crucial part in securing their personal interests as well as the privacy interests of the client or company. In fact, while we’re quick to generically blame technology for breaches in issues related to privacy, the truth is that the number 1 interest in breaching privacy is a human one and is almost always initiated by humans.
Let’s Level Set, Shall We?
In a modern sense, what does it mean to “ensure privacy” as a virtual manager and for virtual employees? In brief, it means many things, including considerations, necessary policies, and safeguards. In other chapters, we tackle a wealth of funny, weird, and all-too-common privacy-related topics that employees and employers deal with in a virtual world. However to kick things off, we’re going to first address privacy at a fundamental level for you and your employees.
Understanding the Vulnerabilities of Your Tech
It’s a safe bet that the majority of the technology you and your team use comes from your employer—everything from your computer to the docking station, phone to router. Most companies handle all of the software and hardware necessary for your day-to-day job.
No matter who supplies your tech, you still need to protect it to the best of your ability. We’ve compiled some classic privacy and security tips for you and those who report to you to remember at all times.
Password Protect Everything
If your password is PASSWORD1 or 1234ABCD or even some combo of your child’s first name and date of birth—spoiler alert—you’re a security hazard. We understand that remembering passwords is hard, so one of the best things you can do is use the complex auto-generated passwords that are offered to you by your computer. If you write them down, keep them in a safe and secure place (not scribbled on a piece of paper “hidden” underneath your keyboard). There are also online password storage platforms that offer to safely store all your passwords in one place, but beware that even these can be compromised by the savviest of hackers.
Keep Your Computer Updated and Virus Free
Stop ignoring virus and update notifications! Of course they are annoying. Of course they pop up in the middle of working on a late report. And of course they take a lot of time exactly when you don’t have it. But every time you click on “remind me later” you’re not really hitting “snooze”—you’re leaving your computer open to any number of attacks. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if these notifications are real or not. That’s when you take a screenshot from your desktop and send it to IT to ensure you should be updating what you’re being asked to update—assuming IT doesn’t handle all of this already anyway without you even knowing.
Use or Request a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
These days, most organizations with a sizeable virtual employee base use a VPN regularly. VPNs allow you to connect to the Internet through a remote (or virtual) server. As a result, the data sent between your device and this server is securely encrypted and gives you privacy by hiding your Internet behavior from both your ISP and any other group that may be tracking your browsing information. VPNs are also smart because they can be used to open access to blocked websites or restrict other websites, based on what your company does or does not want you to access.
Use Only Secure Wi-Fi Networks
While the free Wi-Fi service at your local Starbucks or Panera seems super convenient when you’re working remotely, recall the little message that pops up about how your private information may not be private on their network? Can’t remember? Our point exactly. Because when you use public Wi-Fi, anyone could be watching both literally and digitally. And if you’re using public Wi-Fi for work, you want to take an extra set of security measures, such as using a VPN service to encrypt any data you send or installing an encrypted private hotspot for added security.
Secure Your Browsers
Your browser is how you interact with the virtual world, and if you’re not careful, it’s easy to leave a trail of digital footprints everywhere you go, which subsequently leaves you open to trackers and hackers checking out your private browsing habits. It’s become harder and harder to turn off third-party cookies, but where you can, you need to block them. Going a step further, it’s also worth disabling JavaScript to avoid hackers. And nowadays, it’s not a bad idea to turn on all of your browser privacy settings anyway, keeping your work computer clean from any vulnerable website.
Understanding the Vulnerabilities of Your Actions
Technology is one place you need to lock down your securities and privacies, but your actions—and the actions of those who report to you—are another issue all together. Privacy is a multilane highway. Do you know what side you and your employees are on?
One of the first places you should look is to see if your company has any expectations or restrictions for how you use your tech. But just to be safe, we’ve got you covered with a few smart tips.
Use Company-Required Security Measures
It’s likely that your company expects you to use a confidentiality statement in your email signature, or that it has a firewall policy related to online computer usage. No matter what the requirements are, follow all of them. They are there for a reason and are often the first line of defense against breaks in confidentiality.
Avoid Creating Email Chains or Reply-Alls
You have one of two choices when replying to an email chain: Read the entire email chain again to ensure you’re not creating any confidential jeopardy by hitting reply all, or don’t continue the chain and simply reply directly to the sender. Otherwise you are leaving the whole thing ripe for mistakes. And we’ve all been there.
Mark It Confidential
Confidential workplace information can generally be broken down into three categories: employee information, management information, and business information. In a virtual world, one of the best things you can do when dealing with a private or confidential issue is to make sure that before the person involved even opens, accepts, or is engaged in the conversation, they are made aware of its confidential or private nature. Don’t assume that the sheer nature of the topic should alert someone to its confidentiality. Give them a heads-up to ensure you’re all on the same page. How can you accomplish this? It can be as easy as writing “Confidential” in the subject line of the email or invite. We also recommend taking several precautions when planning to address confidential or private issues on a video or phone call, virtually.
Keep Your Work Computer Professional
Don’t use social media, conduct personal searches, or shop retail on your work computer. It’s tempting. We know! It’s just another tab away! And it’s the modern world, right? Who cares if you’re on Facebook or Amazon over lunch? Or that you jump on LinkedIn to connect with a colleague? Resist the urge. Unless managing social media or ordering office supplies is part of your job description, use your personal phone, watch, tablet, or other device to check on your newsfeed, search for the closest pizza delivery, or order a new pair of jeans. The possibilities of inviting problems—professional or technical—are far too high to risk using work tech for the purpose of personal needs.
A Few More Thoughts
Make privacy a priority. Privacy is more than just an issue for employers. It’s an issue for everyone involved, and this means that everyone needs to be involved at all levels that relate to their role.
Keep up to date on privacy issues. In a virtual environment, knowing more is always better than knowing less or knowing where to point someone. Learn what you can about confidentiality, privacy, and protections, and pass that information on to help make everyone who reports to you feel smart, confident, and compliant.
Signing Off
We cannot reinforce enough how critically important privacy is in a modern virtual world. A breach of information is not just an “oops” occurrence. In fact, with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) that went into effect in Europe in early 2018, indiscretion when it comes to privacy could potentially result in fines that reach into the millions of euros—not exactly something for which you want to be personally responsible!
A lot of the information presented in this chapter was pretty “techy,” and that may not be your area of expertise. Therefore, our suggestion would be to talk to your IT person so they can make sure the devices you use for work are as protected as they can be. Take all topics of privacy seriously and utilize any and all precautions. If you see something and don’t know whether it’s real or if you should click on it, ask someone immediately. It’s totally OK to take the “there’s no shame in my game” attitude and get things checked out. Remember, once information is breached, it cannot be unbreached, so be vigilant—even when it’s annoying. Like with most things, it’s better to be safe than sorry. And in the virtual world, it even better to be very safe than sorry you didn’t try harder.