Five Security Tips for Working From Home
Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, many businesses have implemented work-from-home policies, which are both new and overwhelming for everyone.
More than 70 percent of employees work remotely, and with a huge range of benefits, remote workers are especially exposed to data security risks.
We are working in environments that we are not used to, using less familiar technologies and networks, thus exposing ourselves to more significant cyber threats.
Enterprises are all concerned about losing their sensitive data. Fortunately, there are many security measures that IT departments can implement like preferring to stay safe with VPN to secure their distributed workforce. Following “Five Security Tips for Working From Home” are listed below:
1. Secured with VPN:
The risk of certain cyberattacks can be reduced with VPNs’ help, as they make it difficult to intercept what you are doing. Currently, companies do have a VPN for their employees.
Most SMBs need to secure their resources and cloud applications behind their VPN. Therefore, It is the best practice in order to stay safe with VPN.
How does a VPN work
VPNs establish an encrypted and secure connection to the network over the internet, thus, routing your traffic through that.
VPNs prevent websites from knowing your geolocation or your internet provider from monitoring your activity.
A virtual private network across a public network enables you to send and receive data safely and securely across shared or public networks as if you are directly connected to the private network.
Thus, it keeps you secure on public hotspots and allows remote access to secure computing assets.
2. Use “real” two-factor authentication:
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a global shift to remote working at a huge scale. Organizations have had to face many challenges in times of economic uncertainty while ensuring all the security protocols for their remote workforce.
The remote employees would be using personal devices and networks for their work that would have otherwise been done on secure devices and networks.
This requires setting up 2FA that works by providing an additional layer of security to the login process.
“Two-factor authentication is essential to web security because it immediately neutralizes the risks associated with compromised passwords.”
How does 2FA Work
The two-factor authentication is an effective cybersecurity solution in which access is granted based on two pieces of evidence, i.e. a password and a one-time code or push notification, to an authentication mechanism.
It comes with easy implementation, meets regulatory compliances and assures consumer identity. This security measure should include cloud storage, social media, email, and other online assets to reduce cyber threats.
3. Run updates frequently:
Hackers love software vulnerabilities. Along with other security fixes, operating system and software updates are a part of essential preventive measures necessary to keep machines up-to-date, safe and stable from malware and other cybersecurity threats.
Keep your operating system, and software up-to-date as both of them are a common target and can be exploited.
Before using any software or application on your system, ensure that it is the latest and up-to-date version under its security policy.
Ensure all internet-connected devices apply security patches ideally by automatic updates and check for the latest versions periodically for everything else to avoid the security loopholes that are discovered in outdated programs. On the other hand, many software will automatically check and apply security patches.
4. Be skeptical with every URL you click:
Awareness is the key to avoiding any cybersecurity attack. Therefore, beware when opening emails from unknown people or sources and clicking on links and downloading attachments as they can subject you to malware, fraud or a scam and can infect your system with a virus.
The phishing craze is blindsiding users nowadays. It involves malicious hyperlinks behind social media messages and ads. Images, false-front URLs, etc.
If you receive any suspicious message or an unknown email, check where it leads.
5. Protect your video conferences:
Most of the teamwork nowadays is being conducted through video conferencing due to businesses embracing working from home. To stay safe from fraudsters, the online conferences and corporate meetings should be limited to the intended audience, protected via strong passwords, and the password should not be embedded in the meeting link.
In order to avoid the video call being left open, meetings should be set for a specific time with inactivity timeouts.
Conclusion
Along with work freedom and flexibility, working from home yields cybersecurity concerns outside a protected corporate network.
Data security is an essential part of the company.
It is applied to prevent unauthorized access to computers, databases, and websites. If all the evidence in the company is not secured, then that company’s owner and the company employee have to face various problems or losses.
So data should be secured in proper order like using a VPN, using 2FA, updating programs from time to time, being vigilant about every URL and click, protecting video conferencing, keeping backups regularly, etc.