The office is no longer the heart of the business. We’re spread far and wide, with employees enjoying all the benefits that working from home has to offer.
Fortunately, many organizations have technical resources and systems in place to support employees while working from home offices, kitchens (and perhaps even bed, every now and then).
But working away from the office doesn't mean not being mindful of data security. Here are eight tips to make online security part of your everyday working:
- Use work laptops and equipment wherever possible. It is wise to keep professional information flows separate from private communications. If you want to check your personal email while working, it is better to do this on a personal device.
- Look after your laptop. Don’t leave it unattended in a coffee shop or unlocked in any public place. Even at home, be sure to make a habit of locking it before leaving the room.
- Make sure your home WiFi network is secured. Ask your CISO what security measures you can take to ensure this, such as changing the default password of the router and setting encryption.
- Install the appropriate VPN software on your computer. This secures your connection and enables you to work remotely on your organization's network. Cloud applications also make it easier to work from home using the same software as your colleagues.
- Email safely. You’ll need a tool that ensures that you can always easily communicate with colleagues and contacts, and protects you against hackers and non-cyber related mistakes.
- Be alert to phishing emails. Criminals are known to take advantage of remote workers by sending phishing emails or distributing malware. If you have received a malicious email, report it to your management organization.
- Keep your software and plug-ins up to date. This is a measure that people often underestimate. As soon as vulnerabilities in software are exposed, cyber criminals attempt to take advantage of them. Keep these types of attacks at bay by installing updates immediately once they are available.
- Make sure you are well informed. Stay up to date on the possible risks and solutions that exist. You can protect your work and keep data secure if you know what to look out for.
We’re sending more emails than ever while working remotely, so now is the time to investigate how to make this most risky tool work harder for your team.
We know a thing or two about digital communications security. Learn more about how we can secure your sensitive files and data with one-click security.
