It is hard to believe that 12 months ago, our lives would be changed so drastically and in such a short space of time. Words such as ‘Coronavirus’, ‘Lockdown’, ‘Furlough’, ‘Self-Isolating’ have now become a mainstay of our vocabulary.
Another massive change has been so many people now working from home. Whilst some accountancy firms have seen an increase in the amount of staff coming back to work in the office (there was a significant rise during tax season), some firms have taken the decision to make this a permanent arrangement with staff only expected to spend a limited amount of time in the office (that’s if the firm has decided to retain an office!).
But the issue of data protection has to be reviewed more closely when staff are working from home or indeed flexing between working from home or in the office.
Safeguarding personal data
The Information Commissioner’s office has produced a very useful guide called ‘Data protection and working from home – what you need to know.’ These web pages and guides cover all aspects of working from home including: security checklists for employers; staff using their own devices to work from; working from home securely; and what to look out for on video calls.
Whilst Boris has announced his ‘Roadmap out of Lockdown’, there are many firms who have already decided that working from home could become the ‘norm’ for many of their staff. Going forward, there is likely to be a lot more people working away from the office, so data protection and cyber security will be a constant issue for many practices to work with.
