The use of the internet has become a way
of life for computer users in the world today.
Whether it be gaming, shopping, working or streaming videos, the
internet is an endless river of information.
This weeks tech topic will discuss telecommuting and the role it plays
in businesses today.
Telecommuting
or working from home connects to the fundamentals of information technology in
many ways. Working from home involves
having a computer with above-average hardware and software to ensure that you
can perform your daily functions in an efficient way to meet business
needs. It also requires an internet
connection so that you can connect through a virtual private network (VPN) to
your place of business to access the company's software programs used for your
jobs. As Fahad Algarni and Saeed Jan
states in an article they wrote, “With the widespread developments in
networking technology, unified communication, and the output produced by the
Internet of Things (IoT), everyone may now do duties outside of the office with
greater ease due to the Internet” (p.2).
The basics of this concept is that the telecommuter boots up the computer supplied by their place of business. The user then runs the VPN software that has been preinstalled on the machine, and in doing so, it connects to the server located at the company. The server then responds and sends a request back to the user to log in with the username and password that was set up by the company's network and database administrators. Once the correct information is entered, the teleworker has access to the company's files and software, which the administrators have given specific access to.
When working from home, it is imperative that the highest levels of security is met due to the increasing cyber crimes that are being committed in recent years. An article written by Mohammad Hijji and Gulzar Alam says, “Cybersecurity performs an important role nowadays by protecting government data, business, industrial information, intellectual property, and personal information from hackers and cybercriminals” (para.2). Businesses need to protect databases that house customer information. Teleworkers access this information through the company software daily to enter and modify records, take payments, add and/or remove services, and send technicians to fix problems or install services. When employees work from the office, they access the system using a local area network, and the network administrators set up firewalls to keep out cyber criminals. But when a teleworker accesses the system remotely, there is a need for higher-end security since home networks are more vulnerable, which is why companies usually supply the computer that has been locked down so users can’t install any possible software that could harm the company and lock down many settings so the user can’t manipulate the operating system and make it vulnerable.
Telecommuting
is great for work-life balance, and many companies have converted to this
business model since the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to adapt. Employees and employers both benefit from
this since it saves the company money on office space and saves the employees
on gas and child care services (Hajal, 2022).
Computers and the internet is the norm for everyday life. Most everyone is familiar with the Jetsons
and the space age world depicted within this cartoon but the world is
continuously increasing the speed of processors, perfecting artificial intelligence
and creating new conveniences every day and the world may not be far from
making this reality in the near future.
References
Algarni F,
Ullah Jan S (2024) A lightweight and secure protocol for teleworking
environment. PLoS ONE 19(3): e0298276. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298276
Corzo, C.
(2019). Telecommuting positively impacts job performance, study finds [Image].
In FIU News. https://news.fiu.edu/2019/telecommuting-positively-impacts-job-performance-study-finds
Georges El
Hajal (2022) Teleworking and the jobs of tomorrow, Research in Hospitality
Management, 12:1, 21-27, DOI: 10.1080/22243534.2022.2080953
Hijji, M.,
& Alam, G. (2022). Cybersecurity Awareness and Training (CAT) Framework for
Remote Working Employees. Sensors (14248220), 22(22), 8663. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22228663
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