10 Cybersecurity Tips for Employees Working Remotely

 

The novel coronavirus has forced businesses around the world to make working from home mandatory for the foreseeable future.  Employees are urged to practice social distancing by working remotely to ensure their safety and prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

 

Today's technology makes it easier than ever for people to work from the comfort of their own homes. However, like everything else, working remotely has some drawbacks, especially from a security perspective.

 

Remote workers can be violated and ultimately leave a company's information at the mercy of cybercriminals.  But don't worry!  In this article, we'll discuss the safety precautions that employees can take to protect themselves while telecommuting.

 

Common Dangers of Remote Work

Here are some security threats remote workers should be aware of:

  

Unprotected Wi-Fi Networks

You shouldn't be working from home without properly protecting your Wi-Fi network. Likewise, let's assume that blocking restrictions have been relaxed in your country and you are working with a public Wi-Fi network.  In this case, you need to take the necessary security measures, as these access points are fertile ground for hackers looking to steal your data.

 

Dangerous Personal Devices

Employees may be required to use their devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) to perform daily tasks.  These usually don't come with much needed tools like a firewall and antivirus software.  Hence, there is a high risk of malware infiltration into these devices.

 

Phishing Scams

As businesses adjust to the drastic changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, bad actors have turned to phishing attacks to exploit the situation to their advantage.

 

Tips for Safe Remote Working

With that out of the way, here are some security measures to keep you safe and your work-at-home devices safe from security threats:

 

Use Strong and Unique Passwords

Always use strong passwords for all of your business accounts.  Setting the same password on multiple accounts might sound like a good idea, but it's far from it.  Because?  Because if one account is compromised, entering the others wouldn't take a lot of effort.

 

Your passwords must include a combination of upper and lower case letters, special characters, and numbers.  An efficient way to create and store complex passwords is to use password managers like Last Pass.

 

Communicate Through Secure Channels

You should use secure communication channels when collaborating with your colleagues.  After all, the bad guys wouldn't intercept your conversations and walk away with sensitive corporate data.

 

Many messaging services offer end-to-end encryption such as Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp.  When it comes to email, there are many encrypted providers available to you, such as Tutanota, SendInc, and Hushmail.

 

Connect to a VPN

By arming yourself with a VPN, you can improve your online security and privacy considerations.  The tool encrypts your internet traffic using robust algorithms, making it indecipherable to anyone who manages to intercept it.

 

This allows you to keep cybercriminals at bay so that you can work from home with peace of mind.  We recommend that you choose OpenVPN as your protocol, as it offers the best combination of speed and security.

 

Configure a Firewall

A firewall acts as a protective barrier between your system and another network such as the Internet.  Prevent threats from entering your device and leaking confidential information.  Your operating system usually has a built-in firewall, be sure to check if it's enabled.  You can also install a third-party firewall for additional protection.

 

Back Up Important Data

Data stored on your devices may be lost due to cyber-attack, human error, etc.  For this reason, you need to make sure that all critical data is backed up regularly.  The easiest and most efficient way to do this is to save your information in the cloud.  Many cloud backup services allow users to customize their storage options and backup schedule.

 

Install an Antivirus Solution

Use a trusted antivirus program to form the next line of defense that identifies and removes known malware.  So if the malware bypasses the firewall, your anti-virus software will detect it and block it before it is damaged.  Some good antivirus options include McAfee, Bitdefender, and Norton, to name a few.

 

Protect Your Home Network

If you want to protect your home network from hackers, you need to take steps to protect it.  First, change your Wi-Fi password by digging into the router settings.  Next, enable WPA2 or WPA3 encryption to protect your wireless connections.  It is also recommended to disable WPS.

 

Update All Software Regularly

It is imperative to update the operating system and other software on your device in a timely manner.  Updates are often accompanied by fixes for security vulnerabilities discovered since the last released version of the software.  If you don't want to install these updates manually, you can still configure them to run automatically.

 

Beware of Phishing Scams

As mentioned above, phishing has been on the rise since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.  Twitter's recent "spear phishing attack" shows how far cybercriminals will go for their profits.  You can avoid falling victim to phishing scams by making sure to:

 

Check the Sender's Email Address for Minor Errors.

 

Never click on attachments or links until you are sure of the sender.

 

Check the credibility of a website before entering private information (phishing sites usually don't have the HTTPS symbol in the web address).

 

Enable two-factor authentication

Make sure to make 2FA available for your business accounts. Add an extra layer of protection to your accounts by including an additional factor to verify their identity, such as a unique passcode or biometric verification.