For IT Staff: Working Remotely during an Emergency

Last Updated: 2020-03-20-17:16

Before Leaving the Office

  • Review security policy, incident response, and business continuity plans with staff
  • Identify “backup” staff — Determine how knowledge/procedures/files will be shared with backup staff in case of emergency
  • Setup primary/alternate/formal/informal communication methods with staff
  • Setup call forwarding and/or provide instructions on how staff can retrieve voice messages
    • To Activate Call Forward:

      • With your phone on hook, press Forward at the bottom of your display on your phone.
      • Enter the number to forward to: 9+7 digit number for local numbers or 91+ 10 digit number for mainland numbers
      • Press Forward to activate
    • To Deactivate Call Forward:

      • With your phone on hook, press Forward
      • Press Cancel

      If you have any questions or concerns, you can call us at 808-956-6033 or by email: telecom@hawaii.edu.

  • For DUO, if currently using an office phone as a registered device, ensure that you have an alternate device/method setup for authorization such as a list of passcodes, or another non-work phone number
  • If public communication/collaboration methods are used (e.g. team chat, Slack, etc.), don’t use for sensitive/personnel matters
  • Setup a single storage location (e.g. Google Team Drive) as a department repository for non-sensitive information
  • Do not use unapproved cloud storage, collaboration, remote access, and file sharing sites; be wary of “free” offers; no contract w/ company; ensure data will be securely deleted when “free” period is over
  • Postpone non-critical visits, repairs, maintenance
  • Unmount shared folders and external hard drives
  • Secure all materials with sensitive information; hard drives/flash drives/paper documents, etc.
  • Modify firewall rules to block unneeded network services
  • DO NOT WHITELIST UH VPN on departmental firewalls if at all possible!
  • Disable unneeded network services on servers
  • Turn off unneeded desktop computers, printers, servers (e.g. print, file, FTP, etc); leaving a desktop computer on for RDP access is NOT RECOMMENDED unless absolutely necessary; any publicly-accessible system (has a public IP address) will be vulnerable to attacks and if compromised, no one will be there to notice or disable/remediate
  • Test remote connections (e.g. UH VPN)
  • Patch devices and update AV on jump boxes
  • Consider enabling auto-update on servers, CMS, etc

At Home

Goal: Ensure work content is always protected

See: https://www.hawaii.edu/infosec/working-remotely-during-an-emergency/#work-remotely

Upon Return to the Office

Goal: Verify security is in-place before resuming operations

  • Check an already-online computer for signs of ransomware/compromise before turning on other computers
  • Patch workstations and update AV before checking email and browsing the Internet
  • Update servers, CMS, plugins, etc before opening up firewall rules
  • Disable unneeded remote connections