Working remotely has become more and more popular, as well as essential for some companies in the current climate. Small businesses in particular can benefit from this approach, allowing them to outsource work to key individuals and also letting employees set the pace while still delivering important milestones.
If you’d rather not be tied to your desk, you’ll still need to stay safe – here are eight of our top tips for cybersecurity in the comfort of your own home!
Update Your Antivirus
Cyber attacks are now commonplace, so make sure your security protection is up to date. During busy periods, it is tempting to postpone the updates – but take the time to keep them current.
Use a Secure Network
This is one of the most common security mistakes for remote workers. While your home network is likely to be secure enough to handle many tasks, if you do decide to take a break at a coffee shop or another area with free Wi-Fi, you may find yourself hooked up to an open network. This is the ideal breeding ground for scammers to steal information.
Avoid public networks for everything but the most basic of tasks and use data encryption whenever possible. One way to keep safe online is by using the MITRE ATT&CK Framework which is a fantastic tool that can help every organization in their efforts to understand attacker behavior and mitigate the risks and threats facing them.
Establish a Firewall
Firewalls stop threats in their tracks, and if you don’t have one pre-installed in your device then there are lots of third-party solutions that do the job just as well.
Avoid Scams
Remote workers are a regular target of scamming and phishing schemes. False e-mails, links that lead you to dangerous pages – these are difficult issues that need to be navigated by savvy home workers.
As an increase in remove working continues, so do the opportunities for scamming – so be alert to the risks and if something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts.
Change Passwords
Change your passwords regularly, and make sure they are not easy to guess. This is a simple solution to many potentially dangerous password breaches.
Lock Your Device(s)
If you’re using a home computer, be sure to lock it whenever it is not in use. Only then can you be sure that nobody else is accessing your work-related information and data.
Use a VPN
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows you to keep your web browsing secret and removes the geographical constraints which might make it trickier to work with impact. It will be much more difficult for hackers to see what you’re doing, which adds a layer of security.
