The 6 Most Secure Remote Working Solutions for Businesses in Canada

The 6 Most Secure Remote Working Solutions for Businesses in Canada

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been heightened interest in remote working technologies as organizations and employees from across Canada implement social distancing. Although the pandemic is temporary, the practice of deploying remote staff will have a long-lasting impact on the way businesses communicate and coordinate with their employees and stakeholders.

Switching to a remote work set-up can be challenging, especially for organizations with cyber security concerns. A study conducted recently to gauge business preparedness for remote work in the face of the coronavirus, revealed that 40% of employers don’t have the necessary technology to support remote work. However, with the right tools, and the help of experienced IT professionals, remote working can be setup in a secure environment, enabling safe collaboration between remote staff.

There are many different solutions for implementing remote work capabilities without sacrificing cyber security, each with their pros and cons. Here are our 6 best recommendations.

Working Remotely with a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN can provide a similar experience to working in the office by establishing a secure connection between the business network and the devices used by remote workers. The data sent through this channel is highly encrypted and protected by security protocols to help the files remain safe and secure.

A VPN may require significant Internet bandwidth depending on the type of files being worked on and applications used. Speed can be a consideration and some applications will not perform well over VPN.

In order to maintain data security, VPN connections are not typically recommended for connecting personal computers. Only work-dedicated systems should be connected, since files can be copied and stored on the user’s computer.

Pros:

1. Creates a secure connection to the company network.
2. Provides an experience similar to working in the office.
3. Supports printing on printers located both remotely and locally.

Cons:

1. Data can be copied to the user’s computer which is less secure.
2. Applications requiring constant server communication may experience significant lag times or may not work at all.
3. Will require high Internet bandwidth or an alternate file transfer solution if accessing large files.

Working Remotely with a Remote Desktop Server (RDS)

A Remote Desktop Server allows remote workers to utilize their organization’s software applications and other resources remotely, often with similar performance as working in the office.

An RDS can provide greater security and protection than a VPN while using significantly less bandwidth. Users get visual access to files without needing to transfer them, resulting in a much faster working experience.

This solution requires a dedicated server, as well as technical setup on all remote computers. The setup should be done by an experienced IT professional in order to ensure reliability and cyber security.

Pros:

1. Enables working on the company network without needing to transfer files.
2. More secure than VPN alone since files remain on the company network.
3. Requires less Internet bandwidth than VPN alone.
4. Provides fast access to company applications with similar performance as working in the office.

Cons:

1. Requires a dedicated server.
2. There are some limits to which applications can run in a server environment.

Working Remotely using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

The Remote Desktop Protocol can allow staff to remotely control their workstation or computer located in the office, the same way they would if they were at the office.

Similar to an RDS, it provides more cyber security than opening the whole network to VPN users, while using less Internet bandwidth. Users can access files and applications on their work computer or company network without having to transfer them. This results in a much faster working experience with performance similar to being in the office.

RDP requires some limited technical setup on both the work computer and the remote computer. It is recommended that this setup is performed by an experienced IT professional.

Pros:

1. Enables working directly on a computer or workstation located in the company without needing to transfer files.
2. More secure than VPN alone since files remain on the company network.
3. Requires less Internet bandwidth than VPN alone.
4. Very fast. Similar to working in the office.

Cons:

1. Requires some limited technical setup on both remote computers and the computers or workstations located in the office.

Working Remotely using Remote Access Cloud Apps

Remote access cloud applications can enable remote staff to work directly on the computers located in their company office. This is similar to RDP but without the complicated setup. An example of this type of app is LogMeIn.

Although they do not provide the same performance as RDP and RDS solutions, and are less secure, working remotely with these apps provides better performance and security than with VPNs.

Setup is more straightforward than with RDS and RDP, however it’s always best to consult with an IT Professional to ensure that the right security protocols are in place.

Pros:

1. Straightforward setup. Less complicated than RDP and RDS.
2. Allows users to work directly on a computer or workstation located in the company office.
3. More secure than VPNs.
4. Requires less Internet bandwidth than VPNs.

Cons:

1. Performance is not as good as RDP and RDS.
2. Less secure than RDP and RDS.

Working Remotely with Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a Microsoft Office 365 collaboration tool providing audio and video web conferencing. It enables organizations to:

• Host audio and video meetings online.
• Communicate with team members from any device.
• Combine chats, meetings, files, and apps to enable team collaboration in one place.
• Create team sites to share data using Sharepoint.

This is a good remote working option for organizations already subscribed to Microsoft Office 365, who only require communication and collaboration between remote employees.

Pros:

1. May already be included if the organization subscribes to Microsoft Office 365.
2. Secure audio/video conferencing and collaboration in the cloud.
3. Microsoft is currently offering a free 6-month trial of Office 365 E1 with Teams.

Cons:

1. Requires a Microsoft Office 365 subscription.
2. May require some technical setup by a Microsoft Partner to ensure proper installation and data security for the organization.

Working Remotely with a Hosted Voice over IP (VOIP) Phone System

A hosted VOIP phone system provides internet-based phone calling for businesses, in addition to other features that are beyond regular landline-based phone systems.

For remote working, a full featured VOIP phone system can be setup to securely allow remote access from smart phones, tablets or computers, in a reasonably short period of time. Some hosted phone systems even provide video conferencing, and screen sharing as well.

Pros:

1. Secure audio/video conferencing and screen sharing remotely.
2. Quick setup.
3. Can be accessed remotely from any device while maintaining the same functionality of an office desk phone.
4. No need to change or get new phone numbers.

Cons:

1. Functionality and features depend on the hosted VOIP phone service or solution.
2. Requires a subscription to a hosted VOIP phone service.

The Best Remote Working Solution

When it comes to working remotely, not all businesses are the same. Some may only need video conferencing or collaboration tools, while others may require a direct connection to the company’s network. Others might even require all the above. The best remote working solution will vary dependent on the needs of the business, however every solution should include strong cyber security protocols to ensure that the organization’s data remains safe.

For organizations finding it challenging to decide on the best remote work solution for their needs, or who want to ensure that their remote working systems are properly secured against cyber threats, seeking the help of an experienced IT provider, such as Outsource IT, is a good choice. We have experience setting up all the above remote working solutions, providing the most secure remote work environments for our clients, tailored to their business needs. Contact your Outsource IT account manager to learn more.

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