Shore Up Your Work-From-Home Cybersecurity

1. Don’t Delay Updates

Be sure to install the latest software as soon as possible on any of your devices. Software updates (including those for antivirus programs) fix security flaws and help safeguard your data.

On your smartphone, it’s important to pay attention to notifications you receive for operating software updates and for changes that affect your apps, especially if you use a single phone to manage both your work and your personal life.

2. Don’t Turn Off the VPN

You may be accessing your employer’s network through a VPN (virtual private network).

A VPN secures information transmitted between employer and employee through what’s known as data encryption. It’s designed to prevent cybercrooks / cyberspies from intercepting sensitive data, such as financial documents and customer information. It is a potential tool that could block an attempt to steal proprietary information.

Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks when you’re accessing work-related accounts, unless you’ve signed in to your employer’s VPN.

3. Watch Out for Phishing Scams

Cybersecurity experts warn about phishing scams tied to the pandemic. “These emails are designed to take advantage of people’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge about pandemic-related topics,”

Experts says scammers send phishing emails that appear to be from a trusted organization (e.g. employer), in order to steal account numbers, passwords and other sensitive information.

4. Pump Up the Passwords

Your devices should require entering a password before anyone can use them. Your Wi-Fi network and router should also be password-protected.

The National Cyber Security Alliance recommends creating a strong, lengthy password for every online account you log in to on an employer-issued device. Password should be at least 10 characters, excluding real words or personal information (like a birthdate)

5. Keep Your Devices Separate

When you do work tasks on your home laptop, for instance, you might be jeopardizing sensitive business data if your personal laptop lacks the proper security. In addition, family and friends shouldn’t be allowed to use your employer-issued devices.

Various personal and work devices we use at home are tempting targets for cybercriminals. To make matters worse, those devices may be getting more of a workout these days, with kids learning remotely and adults working remotely.

6. Consider Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication adds a layer of security to an online account (such as your bank account), electronic device or computer network.

Multi-factor authentication depends on at least two methods of verifying someone’s identity before they can log in to an account, log on to a device or log in to a network.

Those methods include passwords, security tokens and biometric identification (like a fingerprint).

Source: Forbes

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