Remote Working

It is an organizational people control that mandates security measures shall be implemented when personnel are working remotely to protect information accessed, processed, or stored outside the organization's premises.

Implement it by establishing a comprehensive remote work security policy, deploying endpoint management tools like MDM, enforcing secure access controls, and training staff on how to secure company data when working from home. Tools like WatchDog Security's Policy Management can track policy distribution and acknowledgements, while WatchDog Security's Compliance Center can map required evidence and flag gaps ahead of audits.

Yes, an ISO 27001 remote working policy or a dedicated mobile and remote working policy template is required to define acceptable use, physical security expectations, and network rules for off-site personnel.

Expected controls include VPN and MFA requirements for remote access, full disk encryption, automated patching, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and clear guidelines for handling paper and digital records securely.

Auditors will look for ISO 27001 Annex A 6.7 remote working evidence such as a published teleworking policy ISO 27001 template, MDM compliance reports, VPN configuration screenshots, and logs of signed policy acknowledgements. WatchDog Security's Compliance Center can organize these artifacts into an evidence request list and maintain an audit trail, so you can export a consistent evidence pack when needed.

WatchDog Security mandates that all remote access to the corporate network or sensitive cloud resources must require Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and utilize a secure, encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) gateway. In practice, you can track the control requirement, owners, and recurring evidence (e.g., MFA enforcement screenshots, VPN/IdP settings) in WatchDog Security's Compliance Center to keep remote access controls audit-ready.

Endpoints must be managed centrally via MDM to enforce the endpoint security requirements for remote workers, which include mandatory full disk encryption, automated OS patching, and active EDR monitoring. Tools like WatchDog Security's Posture Management can help validate common baseline settings across managed endpoints and provide remediation guidance for misconfigurations tied to remote work risk.

A strict BYOD remote work security policy should enforce the separation of personal and corporate data, require containerization or secure workspaces on personal devices, and ensure that jailbroken or rooted devices cannot access company systems.

Personnel must follow a clean desk policy at home, securely lock devices when unattended, avoid unauthorized printing of sensitive data, and ensure confidential calls are made in private areas out of earshot of unauthorized individuals.

Use a remote work risk assessment template to identify threats, and enforce a public Wi-Fi security policy for employees that strictly prohibits connecting to unsecured networks without an active, encrypted corporate VPN. Document identified remote-work risks, treatment decisions, and review dates in WatchDog Security's Risk Register so risk owners can track progress and show governance to auditors.

Remote working controls often fail audits when policies exist but there is no proof people received and accepted them. WatchDog Security's Policy Management helps publish the remote working policy, collect acknowledgements, and maintain version history so you can show who accepted which version and when.

Remote work increases the chance of unmanaged laptops, shadow SaaS, and stale accounts creating blind spots for security teams. WatchDog Security's Asset Inventory can unify multi-cloud and SaaS discovery with identity mapping to support remote device coverage checks and highlight gaps where endpoint controls or ownership are unclear.