"As companies put their employees to work from home, cybersecurity authorities report an increase in cyberattacks by about 300%, so it is imperative to maintain security while working outside the traditional office."
Some precautions you should take into account
Think before you click - Cybercriminals are always on the lookout for new opportunities and now have fertile ground to spread computer viruses and steal confidential information. According to new reports from the UK's National Cyber Security Centre there has been a significant increase in fraudulent emails offering important security updates that actually infect devices with malware. Make sure you take precautions if you receive emails of this nature, check who the sender is and if the email address matches an expected recipient. If someone asks you to click on an unknown link, think twice!
Never leave devices unlocked - Being working at home with your children comes with an associated risk. They might just be curious to know what mom or dad does all day, or just want to do a Google search. However, they don't know that their work computer is connected to the company via VPN, so make sure you set limits: certain devices should be out of reach of children.
Secure Printing - If you are working from home, you probably also print at home. But keep in mind that your machine most likely does not have the security features provided by the printers you use at work. Even if it is only used with your family, remember that if it is connected to the Internet, your printer will be more vulnerable to possible attacks. Make sure that your network is private and can only be accessed with a password (other than 12345).
Also think about safe disposal of documents. Just as you should not put your entire bank statement in the public trash, you should not do this with your company documents either. Make sure that you destroy everything that is confidential as soon as you no longer need it.
Stay current – It is likely that your organization will take care of updating your work devices. Since you are outside the company network, find out what it takes to keep them up to date. For example, you may need to leave your computer on overnight to receive antivirus and Windows updates - your company will advise you. If you are using personal devices, make sure you proactively update them to get the best protection available.
Don't make it easy - Working from home may mean wearing casual clothes, whether it's sweatpants or even your pajamas, but that doesn't mean you can slack off on company standards. Use only cloud applications, networks and locations provided by your company and, as tempting as it may be, avoid free cloud software tools for collaboration and storage that have not been approved by your organization. They may be easy to use, but they may also not be secure.
If you are working from home, make sure you know how to maintain the same level of security whether you are within the four walls of your office or on the couch in your home.
Opinion Article - Quentin Taylor - Director of Information Security at Cannon @ITChannel
(Image: © Shutterstock)
