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The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has propelled most businesses to change their work structure. Employees are forced to work from home. As if working through the pandemic isn’t stressful enough, cybersecurity experts report increased cyberattacks during this dire period. From being worried about the health status and financial strains, cybercriminals are seeing the gap. They take advantage of the anxiety as well as the vulnerability of people working from home.
Many people are now in search of answers to their cybersecurity afflictions. These are desperate times and measures that cybercriminals prey on. With less time and limited funds available to prepare for the outbreak, people are working on less secure systems. For companies, a work from home structure seems like a win-win situation. The structure provides flexibility to employees, enhancing a more balanced work-life setup.
A work from home structure comes with a lot of benefits to companies as it reduces the overhead costs such as utilities and rental expenses. In the same instance, it also reduces costs for employees such as travelling expenses to the workplace. With everything considered, it’s safe to say there is an on-going paradigm shift in the modern-day company structure.
The latest technology, in conjunction with communication mediums, makes it possible for company employees to conduct a swift work from home transition. However, as rosy as it may sound and look for both parties involved, there is one constantly overlooked factor when companies transit to a work-from-home structure. That is data security.
Operating from an office setup enforces workers to abide by a certain behavior that protects company resources. This is because companies protect their confidential data through the implementation of security measures in the brick-and-mortar workplace.
In contrast, when employees are working remotely, it is hard for the company to monitor their activities. What’s more, it can be costly for the company to secure all of its employees’ machines remotely using high-end security tools. Therefore, it’s left to the employees to place proper security measures when accessing remote servers to carry out tasks with confidential information.
Safety Tips to Practice
This article emphasizes the importance of IT security measures, as well as data security and safety storage of files. People working from home must adhere to the following recommended security tips because it is difficult (if not impossible) to monitor their activities from any location. Employees working remotely must understand the basic security guidelines such as the following:
- Keep within reach of your team leader or members. Letting your team know how to reach you anytime is important in case there is a security company breach.
- Working in a public space can be refreshing but always check if no one is snooping on your computer screen.
- Always keep liquids away from your work machine to avoid unnecessary loss of data.
- Always stand up at different intervals to exercise. This measure will also boost your brain activity and increase productivity.
Now that we have an understanding of the basic measures, let’s take a look at the IT security aspects that need to be applied.
Secure Your System
In the workplace, security forces are on auto-pilot, with employees receiving constant reminders to update their passwords and so forth. The IT team is always on the lookout for security breaches, acting as the first line of defense.
When working remotely, it’s easy to forget the safety protocols. Within the company premises, it’s completely fine to trust the people around you. But in public spaces, you need to be extra cautious to avoid all sorts of mishaps befalling on you.
Ensure your system security by applying these tips:
- Turn off your computer when your shift is done or take a break. This practice will switch both the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity which is commonly used by hackers to gain access.
- Use high-level security tools to secure highly sensitive IP. A reliable VPN can help you mask and protect sensitive IP.
- Always keep an eye on your items when travelling. Airports and other public stations are high-risk areas to get your device stolen.
- Turn on the Find My Device feature to increase your chances of getting back your device if stolen or left behind.
- Don’t insert unknown USB devices left in public. Always get external storage devices cleared by an IT expert before using them.
- Create passwords that are complex and hard to guess. You can use a trusted password manager to create a combination of numerals, letters, as well as symbols.
Install a Tracking Software
Installing innovative tracking software can help recover and protect sensitive data in your stolen device. Some of these tracking software applications go to the extent of sharing a picture of the person who is using the stolen device to help the authorities recover it. Using the tracking software, you can lock your device remotely and erase passwords.
Follow the Office Protocols
Working from home doesn’t mean that security threats are gone. Therefore, you must still practice the same office conduct when working remotely. But working remotely means you must take further precautions such as keeping your device locked when unattended. This measure should also be used even if there are only family members around.
What’s more, you should abide by the company data protection procedures such as saving sensitive data to a designated storage drive.
Update Your Software On-Time
People tend to overlook the importance of keeping device software updated. However, the risk of not updating system software is beyond missing out on the latest features. It also creates security loopholes, hence making your computer vulnerable to attacks.
At the office, these updates are done by the IT team. But while working from home, the duty to constantly perform security software updates is all yours. This includes keeping your firewalls, anti-malware, and VPN programs up to date. Also, always keep checking if all of your security programs are enabled and running properly in the background for real-time protection.
Encrypt Your Computer
When using your computer at home for work, it’s important to encrypt the storage drive. Encrypting data means the information stored is converted into codes, creating a barrier for unauthorized access. Although the process does not prevent a hacking incident, it means the intruder cannot read information as it will be in ciphertext. To decipher the information, the hacker must first acquire the encryption key.
Create Hard Copies of Sensitive Data
One of the most effective ways of protecting sensitive data online is keeping it in physical form. Most cyberattacks are conducted remotely. Thus, keeping sensitive data in physical form will help prevent hackers from gaining access to it. You must also keep the physical data secure in a locker or safe.
Receive Proper Training
The important aspect of keeping data safe while working from home is the ability to carry out data protection measures. The skill can only be obtained through intensive training. Cybersecurity and data protection training can be obtained from accredited online centers if not provided by your company.
Conclusion
Understand that working from home requires a change in behavior. You must adapt to circumstantial changes and abide by data protection measures. This will ensure that your access to confidential data is not compromised. If there are any questions or you feel like your system has been breached, contact your IT manager right away. Don’t try to fix things by yourself as this might worsen the situation leading to further data loss.