Quickly Shifting to Distributed Teams ("TeleWork") in Government
•
0 likes•692 views
Learn more: https://distributedgov.org This was one of a series of FREE live webinars for Federal, State, County and/or local government employees. These interactive webinars are intended to help keep government teams operating as-normally-as-possible during potentially disruptive short-notice transitions from office-based work to distributed teams / telework / work-from-home. Each webinar was customized based on attendee registration questions, to ensure it was immediately and practically useful. These ongoing daily live webinars are being provided for free to help reduce disruption to government services, on which so many depend.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to Quickly Shifting to Distributed Teams ("TeleWork") in Government
Similar to Quickly Shifting to Distributed Teams ("TeleWork") in Government (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Quickly Shifting to Distributed Teams ("TeleWork") in Government
- 1. Quickly Shifting to Distributed Teams in Government Helping government teams work effectively together while physically apart John O’Duinn 27 March 2020
- 2. ➔ Who is here? Why? ➔ Legal stuff ➔ Shifting Our Mindset ➔ Do This First ➔ Collaboration + Productivity QUICKLY SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS ➔ Remote Work Tools ➔ Remote Work Best Practices ➔ Transforming Culture ➔ Security ➔ Q&A throughout Agenda
- 3. QUICKLY SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS Who is here? Why?
- 4. QUICKLY SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN | @CIVICACTIONS Legal Stuff QUICKLY SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN | @CIVICACTIONS
- 5. QUICKLY SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN | @CIVICACTIONS Legal Stuff ➔ I am not a lawyer ➔ Check agency specific policy about: ● Tools: (Federal https://fedramp.gov ) ● Data: what is ok outside the office? ● People: Who can “TeleWork”? (Federal https://telework.gov) What about contractors? ➔ DistributedGov.org
- 6. Shifting Our Mindset SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 7. SHIFTING OUR MINDSET Effective remote work IS possible ● Many organizations already do this at scale ● Cultural, Social and Generational trends ● “High tech” not required SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 8. SHIFTING OUR MINDSET Opportunity to improve Distributed gov teams can be more: ● Resilient ● Crisply organized ● Transparent ● Hire faster, retain longer SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 9. QUICKLY SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN | @CIVICACTIONS We build fault tolerant systems We need fault tolerant Government
- 10. Do This First SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 11. DO THIS FIRST Who was teleworking before COVID-19? ● They are your telework experts ■ Will they be allies? ● Ask what works ● Ask what is broken ■ Warn others and start fixing it SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 12. DO THIS FIRST Work from a different desk ● Need anything from your desk? ● Accessing paper files in your office? ● Can you check your desk phone voicemail? SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 13. DO THIS FIRST Use mobile phone as hotspot ● Connect laptop ● Test access to usual systems ● Debug while still in office SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 14. DO THIS FIRST Find your agency “Disaster Plan” ● Who is listed as “essential”? ● Triage ● Help “essential” people first ● Ask them to do the same experiment SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 15. DO THIS FIRST Get set up for remote meetings ● Update existing calendar invites ● All calls on video ■ Does everyone have a webcam and a headset? ● Do practice calls with coworkers, create allies ● Add daily check-in on calendar ● Add weekly social call on calendar SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 16. DO THIS FIRST Get set up for group chat ● This is your team’s constant contact during the day ● All use same tool ■ Microsoft Teams, Slack (favored by some agencies) ■ Slack (favored by private sector) ● Prove you can post something - and see reply ● Arrange channels carefully - more later... SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 17. COLLABORATION + PRODUCTIVITY Tools - Keep It Simple ● Task/project tracking: Trello, Jira, Asana ● Group Chat: Slack, MSTeams, GHangout ● Video Calls: Zoom (also on your phone) ● Draw: pen, paper, camera! ● Draw (Advanced): Zoom whiteboard, Mural SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 18. SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 19. DO THIS FIRST Checklist for your team ❏ Create account on (video platform) ❏ Install (video app) on your phone as backup ❏ Verify and accept remote meeting invites ❏ Sign up for (group chat platform) ❏ Prove you can post something in (group chat platform) ❏ Explicitly schedule social times - use these calls to offer / ask for help ❏ Does everyone have a webcam and a headset? SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 20. Collaboration and Productivity aka How To Get Stuff Done? SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 21. COLLABORATION + PRODUCTIVITY Daily check-ins ● Schedule recurring remote meeting ■ What I did yesterday ■ What I’m doing today ■ Blockers / questions ■ Action items ● Updates on covid-19, any agency announcements SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 22. COLLABORATION + PRODUCTIVITY Work in the open ● “Single Source of Truth” ● Let written work speak for itself ■ Reduce number of status meetings ■ Recognition for those who do the work ● Collaborative documents ■ Shared meeting notes, task/ticket systems SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 23. COLLABORATION + PRODUCTIVITY Productive meetings ● Change calendar reminder to 10 mins, join early ● Start after 3mins “out of respect for those who were punctual” ● Video on for everyone! SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 24. COLLABORATION + PRODUCTIVITY Productive meetings ● Use video - put link to video call in invite ● Use shared editable agenda - put link in calendar invite ● Same agenda doc is also shared notes doc ■ Don’t ask someone to take notes ■ Do ask everyone to take shared notes SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 25. COLLABORATION + PRODUCTIVITY Dialin/video/room info:.... Date: [dd-mmm-yyyy time-with-timezone] Attendees: Upcoming Vacations/OOO: * Agenda/Roundtable: * * SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 26. COLLABORATION + PRODUCTIVITY Dialin/video/room info:.... Date: [dd-mmm-yyyy time-with-timezone] Attendees: Upcoming Vacations/OOO: * ann vacation next week Agenda/Roundtable: * release date for security fix (john) * update on project snoopy (charlie) * review of budget numbers (mary) * ... SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 27. COLLABORATION + PRODUCTIVITY Dialin/video/room info:.... Date: [dd-mmm-yyyy time-with-timezone] Attendees: ann, fred, charlie, john, mary Upcoming Vacations/OOO: * ann vacation next week Agenda/Roundtable: * release date for security fix (john) ** needed before Friday 5pm PST, details in bug#1234567 * update on project snoopy (charlie) ** looks good - but Mary+Tom to check budget for firewall hardware. * review of budget numbers (mary) * possible dates for Christmas Party (john) SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 28. Remote Work Best Practices SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 29. BEST PRACTICES Group chat tips ● Create ‘channels’ that work for your team ○ #stormwater-project, #data-management, #just-for-fun ● Group open channel = anyone can join ● Group private channel = good for closed project groups ● Talk in group channels rather than DM, if at all possible ● Choose carefully which channel to use SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 30. BEST PRACTICES Practice clear communication INSTEAD OF THIS... ● “You there?” ● “Could we chat?“ DO THIS... ● “I have a non-urgent question about … “ ● “Could we schedule 15 minutes this afternoon to chat about … “ ● “You’re 3rd in line -- is that okay, or is it urgent?” SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 31. BEST PRACTICES Email ● Prioritize / filter (“TO you” vs “CC you”, from VIPs, etc) ● THINK before you SEND ■ Make “TO” and “CC” match reality ■ Update subject line to match reality ● Archive by year ● Create lists for specific roles ■ support@... , billing@... , senior-staff@... SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 32. BEST PRACTICES Remote meeting tips ● Video and audio ON ■ Non-verbal cues make meetings better and faster ● Mute when not talking ● Minimize distractions (but don’t expect perfection) ● Pay attention to background / lighting SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 35. Transforming Culture Trust Keeps Teams Happy, Healthy and Efficient SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 36. TRANSFORMING CULTURE Team norms ● Everyone knows what’s expected ● Write it down, share and refer to it often ● Keep it simple ○ “Post in group chat when we join/leave the computer during working hours.” ○ “We take shared notes in an editable agenda.” ○ “We start meetings 3 minutes after scheduled time, out of respect for the punctual.” SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 37. TRANSFORMING CULTURE Feed Your Soul ● Intentionally block calendar times to recharge and for focus work ● Tell people when you are there/away ● Model self-care behavior for others ● Explicitly add to team norms SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 38. TRANSFORMING CULTURE Human connection ● Group chat channels for non-work topics ○ #parenting, #pets, #weekend-plans, #random, #health … ● Recurring “Virtual” coffee breaks with co-workers ● Daily checkin meetings ● Weekly small-group socials ○ The “boss” talks the LEAST SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 39. TRANSFORMING CULTURE Build a culture of trust ● Frequent human connection ● Working in the open SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 40. Security SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 41. SECURITY WiFi ● Avoid unsecured WiFi in public places (coffee shops, hotels, etc) ● Using mobile device as hotspot can reduce this risk (not eliminate it) ● VPN software to secure connections SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 42. SECURITY Passwords ● Cloud-based services require more-secure passwords ● Use a password manager (like LastPass.com) ■ Alerts of service breaches SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 43. SECURITY Laptops / Mobile Devices ● Burglaries happen ■ Encrypt hard disks (data is more valuable than hardware) ■ Enable remote lock-out and reset ● Require password on power-up and login ● Close laptop and remove CAC/PIV card when not in use SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 44. SECURITY Authentication (a.k.a. Is It Really You?) ● Use two-factor authentication when possible ● Different approaches, depending on your threat model SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
- 45. DistributedGov.org Ask any other questions at: ➔ distributedgov.org “Ask Me Anything” ➔ distributedgov.slack.com ➔ @DistributedGov SHIFTINGTO DISTRIBUTEDTEAMS IN GOVERNMENT | JOHN O’DUINN | @JODUINN| @CIVICACTIONS
Editor's Notes
- Intro - we have tips to help with remote working, but we also want to hear about your specific challenges Discussion Qs: What’s the main reason you’re here today? What are your biggest concerns about working remotely? Anything particular you came here hoping to learn?
- We’ve been abruptly shifted to a new way of working, and in many ways this is a culture shift too. Yes, this is disruptive. Silver lining. Force us to think about work, communications, and productivity differently. Now is good time to improve pre-existing issues
- Lots of team already do it: Fully- or partially-remote organizations are growing steadily in number all over the world (even before virus) Cultural changes made it more prevalent: Workers rarely keep same job and same location anymore; millennials are now the largest segment of the U.S. workforce and expect more choice in where and how they work; it’s becoming more common for employers to offer work-from-home options “High tech” not required: It's not really about tech capabilities. It's about collaborative ways of working, thinking, and managing. It's about being willing to experiment; try something new; learn from it and try again. And we know a lot of government agencies aren't set up to think in a way that empowers remote work, but today we'll talk about small changes that can help you move in the right direction
- You’re facing an unwelcome situation where you HAVE to go suddenly remote. But it’s also an opportunity to modernize government culture in several ways. Distributed gov teams can be more... NIMBLE: Being 'forced' into remote work can help you get more crisp in your communications and help you adopt tools that give you an edge in the future. Even if it feels hard and unexpected right now, lean into opportunities to learn new tricks and get better at pivoting. TRANSPARENT: Not everything you work on is Top Secret. Working remotely can help you look for the places where openness can help you share info better with your colleagues. Don't just default to 'closed' -- start asking where you can be more transparent to help work flow better. In the long term this can help you operate better in general (like reducing turnaround times for FOIA requests or the need for them) RESILIENT: Learn to work remotely, and you’ll be prepared to keep operating during snow days, civil disruptions, forest fires and natural disasters… and yes, virus and public health concerns So let’s look at ways to embrace this opportunity to grow into better functioning teams as a result of this difficult situation we find ourselves in. But first, let’s open the floor for some comments from you all: (turn off screen-share) Are there any mistakes you’re particularly worried about making? Are there particular areas of opportunity in working remotely that you’re particularly excited about? Had your agency been thinking about remote work AT ALL prior to this emergency?
- Fault tolerant production How to update production?
- So where to even start? Practical steps you can take today to practice working away from your office. Discussion question first: Show of hands (via chat or audio) -- how many are still in offices, but anticipating a move to remote work?
- What tasks / roles require paper files, and can they be simplified? This time of quickly shifting to distributed teams is all about adaptation
- Update pre-existing recurring meetings - add video link and link to shared agenda doc. More on this later. Keeping existing times and attendees at first will help continue pattern of nomality Remote meetings can keep us productive and connected when we can’t meet in person. Visual cues and verbal exchanges are proven to be more productive and effective than email comms. Zoom is a favorite but there are lots of options. Cloud based solution allows you to not put a strain on the VPN, as there are often constraints around that
- Group chat (instant messaging and collaboration within your organization) is how remote teams stay in touch throughout the day. It takes the place of popping into someone’s office, chatting around the water cooler, and even reduces the amount of email you send and receive. Keeps you on the same page and allows insight into what others are working on. We hear that Microsoft Teams is often preferred in gov, since you’re likely using Microsoft Suite anyway, it integrates nicely with all that… Slack is very popular in the tech sector and many of the digital services firms that work with government. Either way, pick something you will use! This is a great oppy for shifting your team into more productive working practices in the long term
- Here are some tools we recommend for “just-getting-started” with managing projects online and working collaboratively. You may find that some of these fits your needs in the longer term. Trello is an easy, low-tech way to keep track of project tasks, who owns them, when they are due, and any documents or files associated with them. The other tools listed here are for teams that may need to do whiteboard-style collaboration or sticky notes… but in the end you can easily use pen and paper on a video call and it works great! (do an example?)
- “....so here’s a summary checklist of everything we just covered…” More time on heading/purpose. Less time on the individual items. Set context - this is a checklist for the entire team. Give this to everyone who works for you and who you work with. Post something in chat == important reality check that everyone knows how to do this
- People worry that remote teams will suffer from productivity loss. Actually, going remote is a great opportunity to find the gaps in your management and processes. As you address those gaps, you will find that productivity actually increases. And by moving to remote work, you may have to think harder about your communication processes which forces you to get crisper and more intentional about how to you work together What are your main concerns about collaboration and productivity in particular?
- How to stay on the same page with your team and collaborate on deliverables How to continue mission-critical work and make sure people are supported to do what they need to do How to remain ‘in touch’ with people who report to you without you feeling like you have to ‘check up on them’ The daily check-in is a version of the “daily stand-up” from agile methodologies -- but you don’t have to be the least bit techie to understand and participate in the daily check-in This is for your direct teams -- the people you work with, report to, or manage
- Shared notes, ticket systems let people see who doing what. Distributed orgs have higher ratio of female promotions compared to offices
- People remember when meetings end late, but they often don't remember when they start late. Start on time, or 3 mins after the scheduled time, "out of respect to those who are punctual" An editable agenda - in a simple format - distributed by email before the meeting allows everyone to add / comment on agenda in advance (making a faster and smoother meeting) Use the the same editable agenda to take shared notes -- errors are caught in-meeting, and people can use the shared knowledge to inform their own check-in, action items
- People remember when meetings end late, but they often don't remember when they start late. Start on time, or 3 mins after the scheduled time, "out of respect to those who are punctual" An editable agenda - in a simple format - distributed by email before the meeting allows everyone to add / comment on agenda in advance (making a faster and smoother meeting) Use the the same editable agenda to take shared notes -- errors are caught in-meeting, and people can use the shared knowledge to inform their own check-in, action items
- Helps quiet / shy people be heard Append new info as you go
- Helps quiet / shy people be heard Append new info as you go
- Tips and tricks that make your work more effective
- Messaging in these group chat platforms can be arranged into “channels” -- to reduce “noise” and keep focus on specific topics. Channels can be for specific projects (#website-redesign), ongoing open work (#support or #sales), groups of people in the organization (#project-managers, #finance-department), and also provide a space for people to build camaraderie and talk about things that interest them (#pets, #random, #weekend-plans) Open channels are available for anyone to join, and this is good for agency-wide projects or groups that don’t contain sensitive information. Closed channels are useful for specific projects that might contain communications that shouldn’t be publicly viewable. You can restrict access just to the people involved with the project. Take a minute before sending a group chat message to think about its purpose and what channel makes the most sense for it. It’s good to “default to open” by talking in a group channel rather than DM-ing one person. Others in the group might have insight that would be missed if you keep the convo closed. Also it gives more context to decisions made and helps keep everyone on the same page. Has anyone used any of the above communication tools in their agency or elsewhere? What blockers or struggles do you anticipate (or have experienced) with any of them? Does anyone use group chat in their government agency? How do you think the shift to remote will affect the use of it?
- It’s important to be intentional and clear in your communications when working remotely. You can accidentally spend a lot of time vaguely pinging someone, only to eventually find out they’re not even the person you need to talk to about your issue. Practice clear, concise, and detailed communication. Be truthful about your capacity, too.
- We all use a lot of email. Taking a moment to THINK about your email comms can make them so much better for others. You can create filters to make the direct emails TO you be more prominent than emails that CC you. Instead of using your personal email for roles you are responsible for, create lists to help filter and organize the incoming mail Only loop in the necessary folks -- and make sure it's "direct" only to the most important person. Using key phrases in the subject line: “fyi” or “tl;dr”... Alert boss of possible problems. Prevent nervous boss from asking for status! Manage absentee boss - keep them in the loop even when they are too busy to meet in person right now. (Stop screen-share -- group discussion on productivity) How much impact do you think remote work will have on your productivity? What about productivity of the team as a whole? Are you currently doing any of these recommended practices?
- One of the first things you’ll find yourself doing as a distributed team is remote meetings. Here are some ideas to make them work their best. Video and audio meetings are FASTER and MORE PRODUCTIVE than audio only. Changing no other factors -- just adding head-and-shoulders video -- you can decrease misunderstandings and increase productivity because of nonverbal cues. Mute when not talking: Background noise can be distracting. Spend a minute at the start of the meeting to make sure everyone knows how to mute / unmute. Minimize distractions: It's good to try to find a quiet spot for meetings, but if you're suddenly working remotely unexpectedly, give yourself and others plenty of grace. Paying attention to your background and lighting (“check your rearview mirror”) can make a big difference in your ability to be seen and heard effectively. And using your laptop for remote meetings is really better than using a wall-mounted system (reasons?) Let’s look at some examples ...
- Or, “team charter” Facts not folklore
- Or, “team charter”
- Security best practices are important anytime, but especially as government shifts quickly to remote work, we need to be extra vigilant because people with bad intentions could use this time as a vulnerability. What security concerns do people specifically have in moving to remote work in government?
- Password management is important! If you are using your cat’s name as every password for every service, now is a great time to create better habits as you move to remote work. Storing data in cloud-based services reduces risk of a stolen device but introduces risk of insecure passwords. A password manager securely stores all your passwords, helps you create strong ones, and populates them for you using a plugin. It can help you manage your password security and safely share passwords with others. You should be using different password for all your various services and logins. A password manager helps you do that without you physically having to remember all of them
- Encryption: If your laptop is stolen, that's a bummer, but if your data breached, that's a much bigger deal Burglaries: Burglaries can happen at home, at work, or while traveling for work. Some burglars want to just wipe the machine and re-sell it for monetary gain. Others burglaries might be targeted acts of espionage. Either way, be prepared by making your data difficult to access. Smartphones are particularly easy to steal or lose! Their access to email and confidential data is a risk. Enable remote lock-out and reset capabilties Close laptop when not in use, and set password or PIN to get back in
- Whether working in an office or remotely, you need to set up systems that make it hard for others to login to any of your devices or accounts. It’s an extra layer of protection against thieves or other malicious actors. 2FA - This means that for anything you sign into, you'll need to confirm via a text message or email that it really is you trying to sign in. Entering the password is not enough. This reduces risk that someone can login to your account even if they manage to get your password. You can setup alerts through a password manager and also through some cloud-based accounts -- these alerts tell you if your account is being accessed in a new location or if there is suspicious activity. Then you can respond by logging in, changing your PW if necessary, and choosing the option to log out of all other devices.
- There is a growing community of folks in government sharing ideas and resources through DistributedGov. We have a Slack group, an “Ask Us Anything”, and are developing a handbook. Q&A