Remote working is now a standard feature of the work landscape. From IT support to DevOps, companies rely on armies of remote workers to keep things moving.

As remote work has expanded, companies have had to adapt their onboarding processes. Remote onboarding has become critical when ensuring a smooth transition for new hires. But how does remote employee onboarding work, and what challenges can HR teams expect?

This article presents a comprehensive remote employee onboarding checklist. Our step-by-step checklist simplifies the onboarding process, making challenges easy to overcome. The result will be a more positive experience for IT professionals and remote workers.

Challenges with remote employee onboarding

Remote onboarding integrates new hires into company culture and introduces IT systems that power the organization. But unlike standard hiring procedures, remote employee onboarding is a virtual experience.

HR teams do not have face-to-face contact with new hires during remote onboarding. Employees meet managers and colleagues virtually via emails, Teams meetings, and Slack discussions. This creates some unique challenges that companies need to think about.

1. Lack of a clear onboarding timescale

Onboarding tasks like creating access profiles, logging devices, and providing security training takes time. New hires may need to arrange calls with IT teams, HR professionals, and departmental colleagues.

Companies may provide employees with approved hardware like authentication tokens or access cards. And contracts and confidentiality agreements are often part of the process.

As a result, onboarding processes aren’t usually over in hours. They can even extend beyond the first week. New hires can wait over a week before accessing applications and databases. So HR teams must set itineraries for each stage of the remote onboarding process.

2. Managing access credentials and permissions

Each new hire must have an appropriate access control profile before accessing network assets. But establishing access controls for different resources can be challenging.

Security teams must create accurate profiles for new employees and connect permissions to their corporate role. They must also ensure that new hires have suitable credentials and train workers to use enterprise-wide 2FA or Multi-factor authentication systems.

3. Limited technical and administrative support

Remote onboarding can be highly technical. Employees sometimes need to update their hardware and security setups to meet company requirements. Companies often use unique platforms and apps that require orientation training. Collaboration tools can also lead to bottlenecks, making it harder to start work efficiently.

Every remote hire needs support to overcome these issues. But with many new employees entering an organization and limited IT resources, providing this support can be difficult.

4. Communication problems

Ideally, HR teams and managers would introduce new hires to the company via face-to-face meetings. But that’s not possible with remote onboarding. The distance between new hires and central offices can result in communication issues.

Without instant feedback, it’s also easy to lose critical information the new hire needs. And this is even more challenging when workers speak a different language.

New hires may also struggle to create personal connections with their colleagues. Integrating a new hire into the company culture becomes very difficult. Companies thrive when workers are connected and willing to share information. But disconnected remote workers rarely collaborate effectively.

5. Out-of-date onboarding materials

New remote employees require relevant information about technology, access, and cybersecurity. But company policies constantly change. HR teams may not maintain up-to-date onboarding databases. And they often provide the wrong information during remote onboarding processes.

For example, a company might install a data loss prevention (DLP) system to protect critical client data. But new hires may not receive guidance about classifying and handling data. This results in security risks and frustration when they begin work.

6. Delivering cybersecurity training

Cybersecurity in the workplace now extends to home offices. New remote employees need the knowledge required to use company assets securely, wherever they are. Whether you are hiring managers or freelance designers, delivering the correct cybersecurity training is challenging.

Video calls, emails, and downloadable presentations are a robust basis for security training. But they do not always add up to a productive learning environment. New hires may have questions about policies and processes. Technical problems could interfere with training events. And managers may lack assurance that employees retain critical information.

Remote employee onboarding checklist: what you need to know

When done well, remote onboarding allows workers to hit the ground running. It makes sure employees are cybersecurity aware. And it minimizes the workload on IT support teams as hires become familiar with corporate systems.

But a poorly executed remote onboarding program can be disastrous. Companies can lose the social connections that make teams effective. IT staff can become overwhelmed. Poor security practices creep into everyday work, raising the risk of phishing and malware attacks.

A well-structured remote onboarding policy streamlines the process. And creating effective systems relies on IT professionals. The following checklist provides a roadmap to design onboarding systems that integrate new hires without raising security risks or damaging productivity.

1. Preparing the IT infrastructure

New hires must usually make changes to their home IT setup. IT teams need to ensure staff have appropriate workstations and operating systems. They need to consider cybersecurity, as well as providing critical communication tools. And IT staff must provide proper support to make IT infrastructure operational.

Hardware setup

At the start of the onboarding process, prepare any necessary hardware. Match up new hires with required laptops or authentication peripherals. Prepare the hardware for shipment as quickly as possible.

OSHA can also fine companies that put the health and safety of remote workers at risk. In any case, protecting worker health is crucial. Verify that each workspace meets ergonomic requirements. And provide any necessary furniture to create safe, comfortable environments.

Software configuration

Remote employees need access to essential applications. IT teams should prioritize the configuration of video conference software and communication tools. Set up messaging apps and virtual meeting platforms. This will keep new hires informed and help to integrate them quickly.

IT must check that software supplied to remote devices has the correct licenses. And technicians should test every critical app. Ensure the worker can access central or cloud-hosted resources and that performance meets minimum benchmarks.

2. Cybersecurity and data protection

Remote workers can create cybersecurity risks to both network assets and sensitive data. IT teams need to prioritize security when introducing new employees.

Cybersecurity policies

Review your security policies before onboarding new workers. Security policies should cover all critical risks. For example, they should clearly explain password policies for remote workers. And they should include details about penalties for policy breaches.

Provide cybersecurity training for every hire. Remote workers should understand the main phishing risks and the importance of using updated threat detection tools. They should be aware of corporate data handling policies. Including a list of best practices in the employee handbook is advisable. This list should provide guidelines for critical security issues.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Remote workers should connect via secure authentication systems. Implement multi-factor authentication for all access requests. MFA requires multiple authentication factors for each login request. It can apply to SSO portals or individual messenger apps.

Ensure every employee has correct credentials and that authentication tools connect seamlessly with privileges management systems.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Virtual private networks encrypt data passing between remote workers and central network resources. They provide an essential layer of protection for information and should be part of every remote onboarding process.

Inform new hires how to access the company VPN. Provide client software and any required hardware. And check connection speeds to ensure seamless connectivity.

3. Communication and collaboration

Create smooth communication channels between your new hire and the IT department. Onboarding remote workers involves a lot of technical information. And employees usually have queries or issues to resolve. Following these communication best practices will help.

Communication channels

Add remote employees to relevant team chats and email lists. Introduce them to colleagues in team chat rooms, and ensure staff can use communication tools effectively. If you need to provision specialist collaboration tools, go ahead and do so.

Introduce virtual meeting tools and check for bandwidth or configuration issues. Licensing problems can interfere with some video meeting tools. Double-check to ensure everything is up to date.

Virtual welcome meeting with IT

Schedule a virtual introduction meeting with relevant IT professionals. This is an opportunity to explain critical technology issues and reinforce cybersecurity training.

The meeting is a social event that introduces personalities and gives new hires the confidence to raise questions. Take onboard employee feedback and use it to make the onboarding process more efficient. The meeting also allows technicians to test video conferencing tools, allowing IT staff to fine-tune configurations.

4. Access to information and resources

Network resources should be available to remote employees when they complete security training. This should take place as quickly as possible. IT teams should plan so that access privileges slot into place automatically.

Shared drives and cloud storage

Link each new hire to a role-based access management profile. Access management tools document which resources are available to the user. Users should have easy access to data and apps that are relevant to their role, including company intranets and cloud environments. But IT teams should block access to all other resources on shared drives and cloud containers.

Be careful to provide the right privileges for each role. If you are hiring a large group of remote workers for a project, you can use generic RBAC profiles. But hiring managers requires a more tailored approach for each individual.

Documentation

Make security and IT policies available to every new hire. At the introductory meeting, explain how to access documentation and how policies are updated and maintained. If possible, create an employee handbook that includes everything remote workers need to know.

Training resources

Remote employees require virtual training. So prioritize access to digital training materials and resources. From the start, security training is a core part of the company culture. And make access to resources as flexible as possible, allowing workers to fit training into their onboarding routine.

Checklist for HR professionals

The other side of the remote onboarding coin relates to Human Resources teams. HR professionals are critical in introducing new employees and making the onboarding experience more enjoyable.

Company orientation tasks complement the work of IT departments. Here are the key actions that HR officers need to consider:

Ensure paperwork is done

Nothing is more frustrating during onboarding than receiving an endless stream of documents to sign. Make this task pain-free by creating a single cache of necessary paperwork for each onboarding procedure.

Automate the provisioning of key documents. This reduces the number of times the new employee needs to provide digital signatures and makes human error less likely. Assign a team member to field queries about forms or policies. And apply encryption to secure any personal information transmitted during onboarding procedures.

Send pre-boarding IT hardware and manuals

Ensure employees are comfortable and safe by providing ergonomic furniture and peripherals like back supports and ergonomic mice. And field requests for specific hardware. Employees may need more powerful laptops or software upgrades. Provide whatever hires need to work safely and productively.

Manuals are an important part of the HR onboarding process. Produce an appealing employee manual that blends clarity and accessibility. Include information about cybersecurity and how to access critical workloads. But also add sections on company history and employee benefits the company provides.

Send company swag

One of the most important HR tasks during remote onboarding is creating a sense of belonging to the company culture. That isn’t easy to achieve without face-to-face contact. HR professionals need to think creatively about the onboarding experience and make every new employee feel welcome from the start.

Providing company swag in the first week is an easy win. Simple branded items like cups, mouse pads, pens, or diaries can add a human touch. But you can go as far as you like. Some companies like to send hoodies or T-shirts. Others send laptop cases, beach towels, or practical items like reusable water bottles.

Check up on new hires in the first week

HR is the first point of contact for each new employee during their first days on the job. Make HR professionals available to talk via video calls. And proactively check up on remote workers to keep them in the loop.

HR can also encourage staff to complete the onboarding schedule within the agreed timescale. Don’t force new hires to finish the onboarding process too quickly. Everyone adjusts at their own pace. But be clear about what employees must do, and let them know when everything is complete.

Simplify and secure remote onboarding with NordLayer

Remote onboarding is a challenge for businesses in every area of the economy. Workers need to receive training and information. They need the tech to carry out their duties. And they must have the right access privileges and authentication credentials to work securely.

NordLayer will help you create a secure and streamlined onboarding experience. Our solutions make the IT side of remote onboarding much easier.

Companies can use our secure remote access solutions to replace existing Virtual Private Networks. NordLayer’s business gateway encrypts traffic passing from remote workstations to the company intranet. And they scale easily. Organizations can easily add more workers as the need arises.

Our remote access systems facilitate network segmentation for assigning role-based privileges, offering network administrators precise controls over the network. They integrate with all major authentication providers. And they do so cost-effectively. Companies can onboard hires rapidly, safely, and affordably.

If you are struggling with remote employee onboarding, NordLayer can assist. Use our checklist to guide you and feel free to get in touch with our team today.

In cybersecurity, encryption is one of the key tools to secure sensitive information against unauthorized access. Nowadays, it’s one of the major components of digital data privacy. It’s also a word often encountered, yet frequently misunderstood. This leads to the proliferation of misconceptions that cause confusion and steer individuals toward poorly-informed security choices.

Therefore, in this article, we aim to raise awareness about potential encryption misconceptions that could expose organizations to cyber threats and data breaches. We’ll decode the risks of inconsistent encryption practices and highlight the best practices for adopting encryption in daily operations. By learning how to distinguish between myths and facts, you can effectively fortify your online security and avoid costly errors in safeguarding confidential data.

Understanding encryption

To understand how encryption works, it’s essential to grasp the principles of cryptography. This is the science and practice of designing secure communication and information systems. It provides the theoretical foundation and mathematical tools for creating encryption algorithms that protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.

Cryptography follows the four main principles:

1. Confidentiality. Refers to rules and guidelines, ensuring the information is restricted to specific senders and recipients.

2. Data integrity. Maintains that a message cannot be modified during the transit between the sender and the intended recipient.

3. Authentication. Verifying that the data claimed by the user rightfully belongs to them.

4. Non-repudiation. Assurance that associated parties cannot deny the authenticity or the act of sending a message.

Therefore, encryption is a specific technique within the field of cryptography. It converts plain, readable data into a scrambled, unintelligible form (ciphertext) using an encryption algorithm and key. It can only be decoded to the original form with a decryption key. The primary purpose of encryption is to ensure the confidentiality of data, preventing unauthorized users from accessing the original content.

Encryption involves hashing an arbitrary length value to obtain a fixed-length ciphertext that depends on the algorithm used. Some examples of cryptographic algorithms include Advanced Encryption Standard, Triple DES, Blowfish, and ChaCha20.

The misconception explained

One common misconception about encryption is that it’s an ultimate defense against all cybersecurity threats. While encryption does help against various threats, even if the data is stolen, it’s not a standalone solution. Here are some things that you should consider:

Encryption only protects data in transit and at rest. Encryption is effective in cases when the data is stored or transmitted. This makes it unreadable to anyone without the decryption key. However, it is vulnerable if the end-point device has been compromised and the data is decrypted for use.

Data encryption is never a standalone solution. Encryption should be combined with other cybersecurity measures like multi-factor authentication, firewalls, regular system updates, and more to create a robust defense against cyber threats. This means using multiple layers of security to protect valuable data and assets, with each layer providing more challenges for attackers to breach the system.

Key management may matter more than an encryption algorithm. It’s easy to pick the most complex encryption algorithm for sensitive data and assume it is now protected under nine locks. The problem is that the strength of encryption also depends on the secrecy and security of the keys used to encrypt and decrypt the data. Therefore, proper key management is as important as technological security measures.

The risks of inconsistent encryption practices

Our previous examples show that encryption isn’t enough to guarantee data security. What sometimes matters more than cipher algorithm strength is encryption practices.

Inadequate protection of sensitive information

At its core, encryption transforms understandable information, or plaintext, into unintelligible text, or ciphertext. If an organization inconsistently applies encryption, there’s a chance that some data will not be adequately protected. This inconsistent protection could be due to only encrypting certain data types, failing to encrypt data in transit, or neglecting to encrypt backup files.

As a result, sensitive information such as intellectual property, customer data, or financial records may be exposed. Malicious actors can exploit this information, leading to financial losses and damage to a company’s reputation.

Regulatory non-compliance

Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the U.S., and many others, require businesses to take specific steps to protect consumer data, often including encryption. Inconsistent encryption practices can lead to regulatory non-compliance, resulting in potential fines and penalties and further damaging an organization’s reputation.

Interoperability issues

Inconsistency in encryption can lead to compatibility problems. For example, if different encryption algorithms or key lengths are used across different systems or departments within the same organization, it can cause difficulty in data sharing and management. This can lead to inefficiency, potential data loss, or the need for resource-intensive data translation.

Best practices for adoption of encryption practices

Encryption is vital to any cybersecurity strategy as it adds an essential layer of protection for data at rest and in transit. Here are some of the best practices for adopting encryption.

Centralized key management system

Different encryption keys used can present a significant challenge regarding storage accessibility. A centralized key management system allows storing encryption keys separately from the encrypted data, providing an additional layer of security in case of a data breach, and minimizing the risk of compromise.

The centralization of the key management process offers further advantages in terms of processing. While the encryption and decryption operations occur locally where the data resides, activities like storage, rotation, and generation of keys are performed away from the actual data location. This separation streamlines the encryption-decryption process and enhances overall security.

Access and audit logs for encryption keys

Access to encryption keys should be limited only to those individuals who genuinely need them. This control can be established through a centralized key management process, ensuring only authorized users are granted access. Avoid cases when a single user holds exclusive access to the key, as this could lead to problems if the user loses their credentials or if data corruption occurs.

Additionally, comprehensive audit logs maintenance is critical to encryption key management. These logs must meticulously document the complete interaction logs of each key, encompassing its creation, deletion, and usage patterns. Every operation related to these keys should be recorded, including details about who accessed the key and the timestamp of access. This facilitates compliance requirements and enables efficient investigation during a key compromise.

Integration of third-party services

Organizations frequently rely on external devices distributed across their network to perform various functions. Still, these devices often lack seamless interaction with databases. Consequently, choosing encryption methods compatible with the third-party applications they interact with is essential.

Incorporation of third-party APIs entails significant risks like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, denial of service, spoofing, malware code, and others. This makes API security a major concern. To address this issue, it’s necessary to use API Management Platforms, providing a range of features like monitoring, analytics, alerting, and life-cycle management.

The principle of least privilege

The principle of least privilege advocates that organizations should grant administrative rights based solely on user roles. This restricts the assignment of such rights to applications and minimizes exposure to internal and external threats. As access is limited through role-based control mechanisms, the potential for harm is reduced.

It’s important to note that this principle is not limited to human users. The principle encompasses all interconnected software applications, systems, and devices. For successful implementation, a centralized control system is necessary. It mitigates the risk of “privilege creep” and minimal access levels to human and non-human entities.

Use strong and updated encryption standards

Outdated encryption algorithms are easier to crack because the processing power of computers has dramatically increased. Using robust and up-to-date encryption standards like AES-256 can provide better security. Complex algorithms make it nearly impossible for unauthorized individuals to access the data. This protects sensitive customer information, financial data, trade secrets, and intellectual property.

Use of automation tools

Manual key management not only consumes a significant amount of time but also introduces the risk of errors. This is especially the case when dealing with the scale of large organizations. A more intelligent approach to address this challenge is by implementing automation. For instance, automation can create, rotate and renew keys at specified intervals, proving an effective and prudent practice.

How can NordLayer help?

Encryption is an essential tool in our digital world, providing a robust line of defence against cyber threats. That said, various misconceptions surrounding encryption can undermine its effectiveness. Strong and consistent encryption practices can provide the necessary shield in our interconnected world.

This is also where NordLayer can help. NordLayer establishes connections to a Virtual Private Gateway using OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and NordLynx protocols that are encrypted with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit or ChaCha20 algorithms. Meanwhile, our single extension for different browsers uses Transport Layer Security encryption for web traffic.

The connections and online browsing can be further secured by enabling features like two-factor authentication, single sign-on, device posture monitoring, ThreatBlock, and DNS filtering.

Most importantly, NordLayer can be set to auto-connect to a Virtual Private Gateway server as soon as an internet connection is detected. This enforces the consistent usage of security tools, as each time an employee turns on a computer, it automatically connects to a Virtual Private Gateway.

Get in touch with the NordLayer team directly to explore innovative data security solutions that make damaging data breaches much less likely.