New to Working From Home? Here's How to Do It Safely

To help mitigate the threat of COVID-19, businesses and employees are finding themselves taking part in the biggest “work from home” experiment ever tried. If you are one of those business owners or employees, here are some security tips to help protect you and your data while you work in your home office.

Just like the physical world, the digital realm has its share of criminals that are looking to exploit the current situation for illegal gain. You probably lock your front door each evening, and maybe your car as well, even in a quiet neighborhood. It’s smart, it’s easy, and you can rest better at night knowing your possessions are secure.

You can actually use the same common-sense approach to protect your digital assets. (Be sure to refer to your company’s I.T. department for immediate guidance since each companies’ policies may differ from these suggestions):

• Work space:
  • Keep all work-related documents stored somewhere that is out of plain sight.
  • Be aware of where any cameras may be pointing, and which devices could be used to eavesdrop. Most home assistants have a means to disable listening for a period of time.
• Network and computer:
  • VPNs (Virtual Private Network): if you have one, use it. If your company offers one, take advantage of it.
  • Always lock your workstation or log off when not in use.
  • Never use public or unsecured wireless connections.
• Email:
  • Never give out personal information over email and check the email address as well as the sender’s name to look for potential fraud.
  • If the email’s content contains poorly used grammar, question its legitimacy.
  • If you get a random email with an urgent request, call the sender directly using a number from their website (not a link in the email!) or in your company’s directory.
• Passwords:
  • Never share your passwords with anyone.
  • Multifactor authentication is always recommended when available.
  • Refrain from using common dictionary words, your name, username, or other easily guessed words in your passwords. Special characters, capital letters and numbers add an additional layer of difficulty to passwords for security.
  • Make a habit of rotating passwords at least every 90 days.
• Other sites:
  • Limit your social media time, many attacks can be traced back to social media. Not all information posted on social media is the most reliable and can often cause unnecessary panic.
  • It’s a good time to take a deep breath and sign off.

By following these tips, you can reduce the risk of compromise and protect you and your customer’s data during this trying time. For more information on home networking security tips visit:

• https://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/protect-myself-cyber-attacks
• https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/online-security
• https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/03/online-security-tips-working-home