At Brigade, we’ve been pretty open about how we maintain security and confidentiality while working remotely. However, you may be wondering how your other third-party vendors handle this, especially if they help you deliver services to your clients.
If these businesses have team members working from home, areas of concern can include:
Staff members using personal devices and/or sharing devices.
- Employees working under varying, but not uniformly tight, home security practices.
- Their ability to work with consistently secure WiFi.
…and more.
Here’s what you need to find out before letting third-party vendors access your network and/or store your data.
Do you know the person behind your third-party vendor?
The vendor providing cloud technology might be from a large corporate entity, or a one-woman show. If you haven’t interacted with the specific person who can address privacy and security issues, make sure you’ve introduced yourself.
What was their track record pre-pandemic?
Find out if the vendor has had any breaches, disruptions in service, or cybersecurity issues. See if they had a disaster plan in place before the pandemic, and how smoothly it was implemented. If there were problems, how were they addressed?
Are they still on top of primary risks to you?
Your vendor should be focused on protecting you from loss. These losses could come from:
- Inadequate or failed procedures, systems or policies
- Issues with service or delivery
- Inability to safeguard customer information
Since the pandemic disrupted “normal” working conditions, have their protections against these risks been adequate?
Does your service agreement address these risks?
If you are already working under a contractual agreement, consider adding amendments that cover remote work-related security issues. Keep track of incidents that could be affecting you.
At Brigade, we view third-party cybersecurity as a financial risk. It’s time to address virtual working realities by drilling down and buttoning up any areas of concern. We help our clients protect themselves. For more tips on managing business risk, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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