Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of your business supporting long-term remote workers never crossed your mind. However, that mindset has shifted as working remotely is a huge part of many people’s daily lives.
Even though working from home is convenient and has many benefits, it can also expose both individuals and businesses to a range of cybersecurity risks. That is why it is exceedingly essential to give serious consideration to home cybersecurity.
Employees need to be paying more attention to cybersecurity threats. By following the best practices, you can mitigate most cybersecurity work-from-home threats quite easily. Here are the top remote-working security tips to ensure both your business and your employees are working from home safely.
- Be cautious of email scams/email security
Emails are essential for communication between colleagues. However, emails are also one of the easiest means of communication to exploit and compromise. Phishing is a common method used by hackers to take advantage of a recipient. All phishing emails should be reported and deleted.
The best way to stay ahead of the game is to keep yourself up to date on current phishing techniques and the best defences against them. Knowledge is power, and that power can be invaluable to you or your company. Be smart, be logical, and be sensible when it comes to questionable emails or links. Doing so can go a long way in keeping your business or personal information safe and private.
- Ensure passwords are strong & secure
One of the simplest yet often overlooked ways to protect yourself when working from home is to strengthen your passwords and ensure that you have maximized password protection across all of your devices. Passwords are undeniably essential to security, but they are not the only method that can or should be used to protect one’s computers and devices. In addition to creating a good password, people should learn how to safeguard it and use it wisely. This means never sharing it and, if unable to remember it, keeping a written copy in a secure location.
Below are tips for creating a strong and secure password:
- Passwords must be long and complex.
- Passwords should contain at least 8 characters and have a combination of characters such as upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers, commas, and alt codes.
- Users should try to never write down their passwords.
- Never use the same password for two or more devices.
- Use a VPN
The benefits of using a VPN are vast. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a great tool to protect your privacy and increase your security on the Internet. It in essence connects two computers securely and privately on the internet and is designed to provide a secure, encrypted tunnel to transmit the data between the remote user and the company network. The information transferred cannot be read by anyone else. The biggest benefit to having a VPN is that businesses can effectively secure their network.
- Be wary of video-conferencing
With social distancing and quarantine measures being implemented around the globe, people quickly started searching for effective means of communicating with each other. With its reported ease of use and low cost, Zoom quickly became popular. However, security measures will need to be implemented in order to properly ensure that you are protected.
Ensure you are using two-factor authentication. Setting up a password for your meeting remains the best means of ensuring that only the people you want in your meeting can attend it. Another setting that gives you more control over the meeting is the “Waiting Room”. It makes participants wait in a “Waiting Room” until the host approves each one. That gives you the ability to control who joins your meeting. Moreover, limit the screen-sharing ability to only the host. As well check your surroundings before you jump on the call, taking a moment to consider what people will see or hear when you join the call.
- Secure your home Wi-Fi
Our increasingly technological world means that our homes are now filled with a wide range of devices that require an internet connection. Whether it’s your computer, tablet, phone, or TV, our increasing reliance on the internet to connect all our devices has opened the door to many risks and poses a range of security problems. It is important to change both the username and password to your Wi-Fi as a lot of the default passwords are easily accessible online. Turning on your encryption is one of the most effective ways of safeguarding your network.
So, when it comes to working from home or working anywhere outside of your office, make sure you take the necessary steps to work safely and securely. Be aware of your surroundings, practice good habits and take precautions to protect your business’s data.
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