Coronavirus response: how to manage a remote workforce?
A coronavirus pandemic is looming. Reactions range from postponed travel plans, shoppers deserting malls for Amazon, and stock markets anticipating a paralyzed economy. Nike closed its corporate headquarters in Oregon to sterilize them. A sensible move. Companies are promoting remote work. With these changes in work habits, how to adapt and operate businesses in a sustainable way? Here are five tips to avoid intellectual property leaks, particularly for companies that don’t have yet formal processes in place.
A good time to revisit digital assets management
As more value is created and accessed remotely, it may be a good time to revisit your digital assets management. Indeed, on-site, employees work within a secured corporate network with firewalls and permission settings. That might not be automatically the case when employees work off-site, sending sensitive documents via unsecured e-mails, and working with their personal devices and tools.
There are four critical questions to address when considering what “reasonable measures” are needed for protecting your trade secrets. Let’s consider these in the context of remote work.
Tip #1 Move sensitive content to managed files
Online access does not mean one size fits all. Communicate with your team what is highly confidential and keep in mind where it is saved securely 🔑️. Different levels of confidentiality must be based on the sensitivity of the information. Casual conversations, status updates, check-in meetings have to be separated from more substantive content. Everything doesn’t belong to e-mails and Slack. Sensitive content should be moved in files that are managed, like Google docs, spreadsheets or slides, to avoid creating uncontrolled and unmanaged digital copies.
Tip #2 Set appropriate sharing permissions
Set the right level of permissions and access to your digital assets. Think about who should have permissions to specific Google Drive folders (Financials, Legal, HR, etc.). On Google Drive, sensitive data should be managed with controlled sharing settings 👤 to determine who has access to the files. Avoid the “get a shareable link” option like the plague. Instead, open the advanced sharing settings when you are up to share a document/file/folder with a teammate. It is the only way you can control the list people can have access to your document or folder.
Tip #3 Monitor unusual network traffic
Monitor who has access to these files and folders. Check for instance any unusual network traffic that could be unauthorized 🚫 so that you can respond quickly. For instance, you can generate usage reports with the Google Admin tool (https://gsuite.google.com/products/admin/)to see who accessed documents, when and where.
Tip #4 Use of VPN for remote access
Employee devices are at risk when only public WiFi is available at their next-door Starbucks coffee, co-working space or airport lounge. In such circumstances, the use of a VPN by your off-site employees must be preferred in order to reduce the risk of a data breach.
Tip #5 Write or update a remote work policy
Write or update your remote work policy. It is an opportunity to add a few legal terms in writing. This policy could include a list of categories of information — unclassified, confidential, restricted, top-secret. The policy could lay out specific measures for protecting each category. The policy may also mandate the use of corporate accounts for accessing company resources in the cloud.
Conclusion: remote work is an accelerator for formal processes and intellectual property protection
In a remote workforce, communication is key. But communication through the wrong channels may pose serious risks. This is a good time for revising digital assets management and for establishing clear policies to protect trade secrets. As you promote remote work with new processes, you may benefit from an increase in institutional knowledge. Take this as an opportunity to detect patentable work products and to create an official record of what your company owns.
