How to Keep Call Center Data Safe When Transitioning to Remote Work

As businesses transition to remote operations, data security becomes an increasingly bigger concern. It’s a challenge heightened by the fact that a lot of call centers are transitioning to remote work for the first time, and in a relatively abrupt manner, due to recent mobility restrictions. This can mean unprepared call center agents, an undefined operations strategy, and overburdened VPNs with a sudden influx of your employees’ personal devices trying to access data.

When your operations do not have technologies and practices in place to support remote operations, there is always a risk for data breach. That fact that your remote operations are managed in multiple locations without oversight can also lead to serious concerns. Risks include agents that are not trained in proper data security practices as well as unsolicited access to valuable client data.

However, it is never too late to establish proper data security practices in your remote operations and build a secure remote infrastructure. Here is how to keep your call center data and your team safe.

1.  Set up two-factor authentication

The first step of any remote operation is establishing two-factor authentication. Asking agents to complete a second step when logging in can protect the company from unauthorized access or call center data breaches. The VCC Live application provides this feature with the help of an authenticator app on agents’ devices. Two-factor authentication can help in cases when an agent’s laptop or password is stolen.

2. VPN

Using a VPN service allows you to maintain a secure connection when agents connect to their work platforms and access your client databases. With the help of a VPN connection, your operations can remain safe, in case one of your agents decides to use public or unsecured wifi connections. VCC Live provides a secure VPN connection to all its clients. Additionally, data itself is stored in five various Global Data Centers with a 24/7 Security and Data team.

3. Access Control

When transitioning from office work to remote work, you need to review your internal roles and responsibilities and assign roles with the appropriate set of rights to your employees in order to keep your call center data safe. If you are worried about managerial oversight, make sure to rely on technologies that have multiple options when it comes to data access. For example, you may want to restrict remote agents’ access to certain data or features, compared to the access offered when working on-premise. VCC Live’s software allows you to do this as an administrator, by just unmarking access points in question.

4. Credit card data

In case your operations deal with over the phone payments, make sure that you choose a provider that can guarantee maximum security. Migrating your operations to remote work might raise concerns in relation to managing payments in your operations. What if your client’s credit card information gets stolen due to the lack of managerial oversight on how agents process payment data?

With VCC live pay, you don’t have to worry about such issues, as the client’s data is encrypted during the payment process. Additionally, VCC holds the PCI DSS certificate that applies to any organization that accepts credit and debit card payments. We are proud to say that this year was the fourth year that we were able to fulfill the criteria required to be awarded the certificate again.

5. Do research on your providers

When you choose which software to use for setting up your remote operations, make sure to choose a provider that is 100% GDPR and data security compliant. This way, you don’t have to worry about crippling fines in case of accidentally mishandled data. VCC Live is proud to boast itself as the holder of the ISO27001 certificate that ensures maximum levels of information and data security within an organization and in its processes, complying with GDPR requirements. We also hold the ISO22301 certificate that guarantees sustainable business management practices. This helps VCC Live adhere to the highest of measures when assessing internal and external risks, and is essential when preparing for critical business situations.

When transitioning to remote work, data security should be one of your top priorities. Data breaches can cost your operations millions in revenue loss, which might be hard to recover from. Make sure that your operation has two-factor authentication, runs on a secure VPN, your managers have access control options, and in case you handle over the phone payments, make sure that you have security standards in place. It is important to not only focus on cost efficiency but choose a provider you can trust with your call center data. Any data security decision is a long term investment, so make sure that you choose the right provider!