Consistent with the County’s expectations of information security for employees working at the office, employees working remotely will be expected to ensure the protection of proprietary County and customer information accessible from their home office. Steps include the use of locked file cabinets and desks, regular password maintenance, and any other measures appropriate for the job and the environment.
Each employee will be enrolled in annual refresher training via our Absorb Training Portal on confidentiality and cybersecurity topics as a condition of remote work. Courses will be adjusted each year based on the priorities of the cybersecurity and privacy teams.
No expectation of privacy is conveyed to employees concerning their activities related to the use of County information assets, including anything they create, store, send or receive. Access and use may be monitored or investigated by authorized personnel at any time, without notice or consent, and are subject to CORA (Colorado Open Records Act).
Internet Requirements
Effective remote work requires minimum broadband speeds of 5Mbps download/1.5Mbs upload with 25Mbps Download/5Mbps Upload preferred. Employees will be expected to complete a speed requirement test as part of the application process. Departments may require internet speeds above the minimum due to moving larger amounts of data between the office network and remote work computer for specific jobs. Departments can work with IT to determine speed requirements for specific positions if necessary. Typically, satellite connectivity will not be supported for most remote work applications due to the high latency which can affect the quality of video, voice, VDI and VPN services.
Employee’s are responsible for working directly with internet providers to resolve performance issues that limit effective remote work. Larimer County IT is not able to support or troubleshoot home networks or equipment.
Tips For An At-Home Workforce
Improving home internet speed
- Physically move your router: the more central, the better
- Use an Ethernet cable: A wired connection is preferable over a wireless connection
- Switch to a different WiFi channel: If you have nearby neighbors with routers using the same WiFi channel, congestion could occur
- Reduce the number of devices on or using your network: Unplug anything connected but not needed
- Upgrade your router or add a Wi-Fi extender or repeater
How to deal with internet outages
- Restart your router
- Report to your service provider
- Use a mobile phone as a hotspot
At-home investment ideas
- Noise-canceling headphones or earbuds
- Comfortable chair and workspace
- Password-protect your WiFi
Network Access
Larimer County provides secure access solutions for employees working remotely. Employees can identify the remote access solution which access is appropriate for their remote work needs. At this time there are three methods to access Larimer County network resources that meet the majority of employee needs:
| Access Type | Applications Available by the Method | Hardwire Requirement | Software Requirement | Authentication Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | Larimer Google Suite | Any computer or smartphone with internet access. | None | Username/Password 2-step verification |
| VPN | All Larimer apps available as if you were in your office. | Larimer issued computer | SonicWall VPN client | Username/Password |
| VDI | Specific Larimer apps certified and configured on our Virtual Desktop Infrastructure | Any PC/Mac with Internet access | Vmware Horizon Client | Username/Password |
The remote work application process will provide Support Central with the information required to assess the best solution for an employee’s remote work arrangement. Employees approved for remote work will need to complete appropriate training for use of each tool.
More information about these access methods can be found on the County IT Webpage.
