Working from home and on the move

A fixed workspace at the office is increasingly being supplemented by mobile working and the option to work remotely from home or when on the move. Powerful IT devices such as smartphones or laptops allow employees to work from home or on a train, or from a hotel or café. However, in this context it is not possible to presume the same IT security infrastructure will be in place that is encountered in office spaces. For this reason, safeguards must be put in place for mobile and remote working in particular to guarantee IT security and provide appropriate protection for the processed information.

The fundamental elements in the security of remote workstations are a separation of the professional environment from the private environment, as well as fast and stable network connections. The establishment of VPN solutions and procurement of appropriate hardware is also recommended. One good way to increase IT security in the context of mobile and remote working is to use Mobile Device Management (MDM), in which an organisation's mobile devices can be managed centrally. This also covers remote configuration and maintenance, as well as system management, end device monitoring and support.

Documents and information

Below you will find information and support from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the Alliance for Cyber Security (ACS) to help you increase cyber security for remote workstations.
Please note that some of these documents are not publicly accessible and require you to log in to the Alliance for Cyber Security website.