Break Down Remote Barriers with Virtual Ice Breakers

Working in the virtual world can create a distance or disconnectedness between team members creating a need to break down remote barriers with virtual ice breakers.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, millions of people have become remote workers and this has presented the challenges of bonding and creating team camaraderie. It’s great to know then that there are things you can do to break the ice between virtual workers, especially when attending online meetings.

There’s a world of difference between chatting to co-workers and superiors from your desk in a shared office space and hopping online for a more focused meeting. Staff members often feel ‘put-on-the-spot’ and things can begin to feel a tad unnatural, which is why ice breaker activities are of such great value.

what is a virtual ice breaker?

Just as a team needs to participate in regular team-building activities in the physical workspace, they need to do so in the virtual workspace. A virtual ice-breaker is just that; a virtual form of team-building. It’s typically an activity that’s carried out at the beginning of the meeting.

Virtual ice breakers bring a more human feel to a meeting held between people who are not in physical proximity to each other. It keeps the team bonded and feeling a sense of togetherness. For people who struggle with being remote and out of touch with others, this can really help. The main objective is to get people feeling more comfortable and at ease before the team jumps into discussing pertinent matters.

how to incorporate virtual ice breakers

Where do you start when you want to introduce virtual ice breakers to your team? The reality is that there are no rules to follow. You can do just about anything with your team from hosting a weekly happy hour or playing a quick online game together. You need to choose an activity that suits the specific team you are working with. Here are a few tips to go about doing that.

Ask your team members to fill out a questionnaire about the type of team-building activities they feel would be fun and effective online.
Create a shortlist of team-building exercises that will achieve your main objective.
Make participation in ice breaker activities mandatory. Bringing team members out of their comfort zones is important for bonding.

3 popular virtual icebreaker activities

Below are a few virtual icebreaker games that you can try.

2 truths, 1 lie

This is a great icebreaker when you don’t want to put too much pressure on the team members. For instance, if some team members don’t like the pressure of games, this one is considered an easier one to play. Ask each team member to tell the group 2 truths and 1 lie about themselves. The team must then guess which 1 is the lie.

guess where I am?

If you have a team of new hires from different locations, “Guess where I am?” is a great game to play. Ask each member of the team to share one photo with a caption. The team must guess where the person is.

virtual bingo

Virtual Bingo keeps team members engaged and paying attention during the meeting. It also keeps things fun.

Draw up a list of bingo-worthy scenarios (and make virtual cards) that team members can earn points for during the meeting. For instance, you can earn bingo points for seeing a pet in the background, hearing a dog barking or child crying, if someone is wearing a certain brand, and so on. Send each employee their bingo card before the meeting starts and let them know that the first person to get 5 scenarios must type “bingo” in the chat and they will win.

last word

Playing games as icebreaker activities does not need to take very long. It takes just a few minutes to break the ice, get everyone loosened up and feeling at ease. If you’re looking for a way to keep up with team-building and morale-boosting even while your business is operating in the virtual world, icebreaker activities are the way to go!

How to reduce the risk of cyberattacks with a remote workforce

Mid-April 2020, and people the world over find themselves working remotely from home. No one could have predicted that setting up your business as a remote workforce might be the new norm, until such time as some other kind of normalcy begins.

With new norms, come new challenges and what many in-office work forces are now faced with is the risk of cyber-attacks aimed at remote-workers who have access to far less cybersecurity than in the office space.

Protecting Your Business & Remote Workforce During challenging Times

The single most effective way of protecting your business and employees is to remain informed of the many cyber-risks faced by the business and to ensure that staff members are fully aware of the threats to their cybersecurity.

As your workforce heads into a few weeks (or months) of at-home work we take a look at some of challenges that should be on the forefront of your mind (and your cybersecurity team’s) right now:

1. Set strict cyber-security policies in place and enforce them

Surrounded by constant safety reminders in-office, employees might be less likely to click on malicious links and open unsolicited emails. At home, chances are that cybersecurity awareness has slackened and a sense of complacency can set in.

Draw up a well-thought out cybersecurity policy which outlines any systems that you have in place to guard data against attacks and reiterates your business’ stance against cyber-attacks and online behaviour. Make sure that the entire workforce reads through this, understands it, and signs it.

2. Secure data encrypted backup

When working remotely, encrypting sensitive data can be challenging, especially when emails and chats are continuous. Documents stored and sent on devices are at risk of possible data breach, particularly when employees forget to use the encryption software provided.

While it’s important to enforce company policies on encrypting data, it might serve you better to install cloud backup options on employee devices to ensure that their data is automatically backed up, encrypted and password protected daily. There is no need for employees to store documents on their devices for extended periods of time when they are consistently backed up to a safe and secure off-site location.

3. Implementing rules for personal device use

Many employees will be using their own mobile phones and devices to access business networks and deal with sensitive data. If you are unable to provide yours employees with a device that is fully kitted with state of the art network security systems, then you need to ensure that personal devices are correctly used. Make sure that data is backed up to the cloud and data encrypted and then immediately removed from personal devices.

Your cybersecurity team should also oversee how personal devices are used for business purposes. Make sure that each staff member has up to date security programs and features on their devices. This might be a big cost to your business now, but in the long run it will be worth it.

4. Incorporate company-wide access to VPN (Virtual Private Network)

When a remote employee connects to your network from home, chances are that they are using an insecure connection. This of course puts your business at risk. One way to add a layer of protection to your business is to provide your staff members with access to a VPN service which will ensure that they are secure when accessing business applications, systems, and data.

5. Encourage regular password updating

To ensure cybersecurity best practice, make sure that employees are able to change their passwords remotely on a regular basis. Some companies insist on changing passwords each week or each fortnight. This can go a long way to safeguarding your business data against possible risk and attacks.

Work From Home Safely

Lockdown is well under way and who knows if it is going to be extended. By preparing your business now for the possible extension and even more work-from-home time for your employees, you will be safeguarding the future prosperity of your business. Be alert and cautious!

Modern work trend of remote workers is a threat to IT security

Are remote workers bringing your business down? Are they putting your IT security at risk? Recent surveys have proven that a large number of IT security incidents are caused by the negligent actions of remote workers.

How do remote workers threaten IT security?

They do this by:

Using potentially malware-infected devices to connect to the network.
Connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi to work.
Using personal devices without the correct security measures installed.

Remote workers are a valuable part of most businesses. They can get work done on the move, they can serve clients from all over the world, they cut back on emissions (no transport to the office), and they save the business money in terms of resources, salaries, wages, and built-in benefits.

Mitigate the risk of remote workers

While business owners and their associated IT security teams understand the risks that remote workers pose, steps must be followed to mitigate it. Most companies:

Implement a formal policy that expressly details the responsibilities, rights, and precautions for remote workers to take in terms of security.
Insist that remote workers use VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) which hide the device and network IP.
Provide remote workers with official business laptops and devices with the correct software, licenses, monitoring systems, and security features.
Insist that company approved password managers are used.
Set a policy in place for company files to be backed up and encrypted to a secure server instead of saved to the device.
Provide all employees with regular, ongoing IT security training.

Surveys & Findings

While most of the IT security surveys you will find online pertain to the US market, it’s safe to say that the situation is similar across the globe.

A large portion of businesses making use of remote workers for various essential business servers have experienced a data breach of some sort as a direct result. It seems to be a general trend that companies still don’t allow their dedicated IT departments to fine-tune a security system and policy that works perfectly for the business.

IT departments should be tasked with more than just running cables, setting up software programs, and answering general IT troubleshooting questions. IT security departments should be educated and trained to add real value to the business. Educating your IT department on security is essential.

Last Word

Remote work is a concept that is only going to become more popular with time. Businesses have access to a bigger talent pool and can engage with employees on a more valuable level with remote working. Unfortunately, remote workers pose unique security risks.

Avoid overlooking these risks and take an active approach towards ensuring that your business can still benefit from its remote workers without having to suffer the potential losses.