What is nearshoring and by whom is it used? In which circles is it most popular and what does it involve? We have already answered these and other questions in a series of articles on nearshoring on our blog. Today, however, we would like to focus on one extremely important issue that should always be kept in mind when entering into a nearshoring cooperation.
Security standards play an extremely important role these days. Leaks of data, passwords, technology, loss of trust in the eyes of customers - these are among the risks that lurk for companies that decide to enter into this type of partnership. It is important to bear them in mind and be aware of them - then we can better prepare ourselves for possible attacks and limit the risk. After all, we do not want to undo what we have worked on for many years through one hacking attack.
In our article we describe:
- What are the security standards in nearshoring?
- What should we keep in mind and take care of?
- What advice do we give to companies entering into this type of cooperation?
Read more in the article below.
Is nearshoring safe?
What is nearshoring and why is its safety questioned? Does it really pose any risks, or is it apparent? How do you guard against potential danger?
As Henry Ford said in 1923 - "If there is anything we cannot do more efficiently, more cheaply and better than our competitors, there is no point in our doing it; we should hire someone to do the job who can do it better". This idea is now coming to fruition in the process that is nearshoring, and is more relevant than ever. One might ask - why should we consume resources to create and improve new structures within an organisation when we can outsource this work to a ready-to-go, skilled team?
Nearshoring is a type of IT outsourcing that involves outsourcing processes to a partner in another country, but one that is not far away, sometimes neighbouring, being in the same time zone and cultural proximity. It has many advantages and is worth opting for. We wrote more on this topic in the article: Why IT nearshoring between Germany and Poland pays off.
But what if we want to opt for nearshoring, but are unsure of its safety? Is nearshoring, in itself, safe?
Yes, nearshoring is safe. However, in order for it to be so, several conditions must be met and several things must be taken care of. To begin with, it is necessary to choose the right cooperation partner. One that you trust, know and treat as an authority and specialist in your field. Secondly, you need to prepare for potential risks and be aware of them. How do you deal with them and how do you ensure safety in nearshoring?
Cyber security nearshoring - keeping data safe
The moment we have decided to spin off a certain part of the organisation, to outsource processes, we deprive ourselves of full oversight of the activities carried out. Working remotely also increases the risks associated with data leaks. Meetings will usually take the form of video conferences, and working on shared files shared on cloud drives or sent by e-mail may sooner or later lead to mistakes.
When working 'on the links', we should pay much more attention to security rules. The primary ways to secure communications are by encrypting emails and using VPNs. There is also a potential increase in legal risks if there are additional formal obligations that we have to comply with.
Bring Your Own Device policy - the danger of BYOD
The great variety and complexity of the contracts being carried out, or simply personal preference, encourage us to work on our own IT equipment and give up the computer entrusted to us by our employer. A lot of companies agree to this. However, by bringing your own equipment to work, you should be aware of the responsibility you are taking on. After all, the computer on which we will be processing business data is our private one. If we do not take care to properly separate one from the other, an incident may occur for which we will be directly responsible. After all, there may be a cryptocurrency node on your private equipment, which is a good target for an attack, or a common Trojan, ransomware, etc.
So it is worth bearing in mind the basic principles of responsibility when working on your own computer. What are our tips for dealing with the dangers of BYOD?
- You should create a separate account - your business profile.
- You should have an effective antivirus/firewall.
- The system should be updated regularly, automatically.
- Strong passwords should be used, 2FA.
- Disk should be encrypted.
Following these recommendations will certainly go a long way to protecting against the dangers of Bring Your Own Device policies and increasing the security of nearshoring cooperation.
Secure nearshoring cooperation - what to look out for?
The principles for finding business partners abroad are similar to those for selecting local contractors. It is advisable to be guided by references, supported by a portfolio of completed projects and satisfied customers. Certificates, especially those with a global scope - such as ISO certificates in the area of interest - will be a great asset. It will certainly be helpful to familiarise yourself with the public registers of the country concerned - the equivalents of the Polish KRS or the REGON register kept by the Central Statistical Office. It is also worth specifying security requirements already at the stage of starting cooperation with the supplier, in order to avoid unnecessary surprises and disappointments later on.
Summary
Nearshoring collaborations have been very popular and profitable recently. They have many advantages, but may involve some risks. Security standards play a huge role in it. Outsourcing processes deprives us of full control over the delegated activities and creates the possibility of hacking attacks or data leakage. However, by keeping certain issues in mind and being aware of them, we are able to avoid them, and as a result - cooperation between nearshoring partners will run completely smoothly.
