An article on Yahoo! today reported that the personal data of 26.5 million veterans was stolen when a telecommuter’s laptop was taken during a home burglary.
Information security is a big deal for government and for companies. They need to protect employee, customer, and vendor data and privacy as well as intellectual property and trade secrets.
Data security is a big reason why many companies refuse to embrace telecommuting as a viable work option. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can have data security and a flexible work environment, but it takes planning, processes, rules, technology, education and enforcement.
In the coming months, we will be addressing this topic on a number of levels. Keep an eye out for articles on:
- Network security
- Physical security
- Encryption
- Writing data security policies.
- Insurance for the home office or home business.
I want to hear your experiences with data security as a telecommuter – both good and bad. Leave a comment with your horror stories, questions, answers and suggestions.