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Staying Secure When Remote or Traveling

Jun 2023
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Today, a remote-accessible workforce has become the norm in most industries. Employees are able to log onto company devices from home, a nearby coffee shop, or during travel at airports and hotels. While there are many benefits to a remote workforce, there is a clear cybersecurity downside: sensitive company files are put at risk while employees are on the go.

Risks of Public Wi-Fi

It comes as no surprise that in 2021, one of the FBI’s top five safety tips was to be mindful when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network. Unsecure internet access makes sensitive data vulnerable because hackers can monitor the data sent and received by your computer. The minute you connect to public Wi-Fi, you are putting yourself at risk of exposure to hackers and system vulnerabilities.

You might ask, what about the cloud? When a company mandates cloud storage, they don't necessarily control where you access it, making your computer or laptop a sitting duck for hackers. The cloud’s security depends entirely on the hosting provider’s technology being up-to-date and adequately protected, requiring blind trust that sensitive files will be properly secured. When there are no limits on password attempts, or a password is stolen, correctly guessed, or obtained through phishing emails, hackers can gain unfettered access to files in the cloud. In fact, cloud breaches like these have become so common that they are more expected than surprising.

Using the Internet in Countries With Surveilled Networks

A world map with many interweaving travel links between global cities overlaid on an LCD display invoking stock market imagery.

While traveling to other countries, you may have to access the cloud to retrieve or upload confidential or proprietary data. But unique security policies and mandatory security restrictions from the countries your employees visit can leave you and your organization exposed.

Subjecting your data to be surveilled by non-company networks is particularly risky because foreign adversaries might use the data against organizations. With multinational corporations operating across the globe, allowing foreign governments unrestricted access to sensitive data can place unprotected companies at a competitive disadvantage, heightening the risk of industrial espionage and potentially threatening national security.

Finding the Solution with Kingston IronKey

On a work desk, a Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 External SSD is connected to a laptop. Its touchscreen keypad is visible. A perfect tool for securing data while traveling or working remote.

So, what can enterprise teams do when they need to travel and/or work from home? Kingston IronKey USB drives and SSDs are the best solution for remote or traveling employees who require access to sensitive company data.

The information stored on an encrypted USB drive provides travelers immediate access to their critical files while away from home or the office, meaning no risk from logging into your company's cloud using the local coffee shop, bistro, or airport’s Wi-Fi – or any other unknown Wi-Fi that could compromise your security. Instead, an encrypted USB drive is loaded with your files, which is like having the cloud continuously at your side, only invulnerable to prying eyes or would-be hackers.

If a hardware-encrypted USB drive is lost or stolen, then the drive will permanently wipe its contents after preset incorrect password attempts. The Kingston IronKey DataTraveler Vault Privacy 50 or 50C USB Flash Drive is like an air-gapped cloud that you can access when needed, limiting your data’s exposure to the internet. For greater capacities, the IronKey Vault Privacy 80 External SSD adds up to 2TB of storage space for a secure personal cloud that is always under the employee’s control. Overall, the hardware-encrypted USB drive with Brute Force attack protection beats any cloud for protection you can control and access locally without using the internet.

With business travel comes increased risk, especially for any sensitive data held by your employees. By using Kingston IronKey products – you can rest easy and safe in the knowledge that even if drives fall into the wrong hands – your data has several layers of protection and fail-safe measures – that keep your data secured. Kingston IronKey drives offer enterprise- as well as military-grade security options for the appropriate protection level desired.

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