Work from Home: A Guide to Remote Working

Working from home often requires accessing key resources that are kept on your office network, which makes it essential to establish a remote connection to your work computer from home. In order to ensure minimum disruption to regular work processes and optimum productivity, you need to know that your connection works quickly, securely, and efficiently. Whether working from home for a break from the office desk or staying on top of things while on a business trip, having a watertight and reliable method for effective working is key.

There are two main methods remote workers can use to connect to their work computer from home: either use a VPN to connect to a work network, or use a remote desktop solution. These two options share the same goal of allowing you to access everything you need for a productive working day, although differ in their setup, complexity, and capabilities. From server access to chairing meetings and task delegation, you won’t miss a beat from the comfort of your own home.

Whether you are part of a large organisation with hundreds of employees, a small business or SME, by opting either for a VPN or remote desktop access as your preferred work from home software solution, you can rest assured that you will be in the loop every step of the way. The VPN option directs all traffic through your office network and allows you to access network resources and email servers anywhere at any time. However, there are several drawbacks to the VPN solution, such as constant maintenance, vulnerability to ‘middle man’ breach attacks, and software requirements on your home computer. For those reasons, there is a lot to be said for working from home using remote desktop access as a VPN alternative.

By using remote working software, you can access your company systems and files on network drives and continue working with desktop applications remotely. Take TeamViewer for example, the remote access solution provides the means to instantly connect to networked resources at any time and from any device, which allows you to work from home exactly as you would at the office. Use TeamViewer’s host of functions to communicate with colleagues, attend meetings, or continue with tasks from home. For instance, share what’s on your screen with colleagues using TeamViewer’s screen sharing feature, or record meetings and trainings for future reference using session recording.

Security is one of the top concerns when it comes to any remote working software. The security and safety of employees, data, and servers is a major concern for IT departments, managed service providers, and individuals alike. A breach in security can lead to hours of downtime, a decline in productivity, and a major loss of data. To avoid this happening while working at home, there are a few measures that should be taken in order to ensure optimum security:

• Always use trusted Wi-Fi to ensure data security and remember that public Wi-Fi is vulnerable
• Consider encrypting your laptop, or advise your IT department to do so
• Keep track of all your devices and take all measures to avoid loss or theft
• Create strong passwords and memorise them
• Be wary of USB sticks as they are potential sources of malware
• Respect your company’s remote working policies