The world hasn’t shifted back to working in the office for many of us. In fact, working from home is now something that’s built into the perks and benefits package of a job these days. More and more people are even requesting this as a perk because they know that the companies of the world CAN accommodate remote working – it’s just a question of whether or not they’re willing to do so.
Working from home has its benefits, which is why it’s such a sought-after job benefit. With no commute, no dress code and no standing around chatting to coworkers, it becomes so much easier to concentrate on what needs to be done. However, if this is your first role where working from home is a feature, then you may want to learn the best security practices so that you can work securely from home.
- Look at how you can keep your work information safe. Security is key when it comes to working from home and the biggest thing that you can do to maintain security is to get a VPN. Virtual private networks encrypt your internet connection and ensure that anything you’re logged into remains safe from prying eyes. Often, businesses will choose to ask you to download a VPN to your computer so that any sensitive information is as protected as possible.
- Run your updates. Oh, this isn’t something you should ever ignore, but it’s all the more important when you’re working from home. It’s so tempting to tell the computer to remind you later, but it’s not the best idea! Outdated software is vulnerable software and becomes vulnerable to hacking if you’re not careful. Keeping your apps, antivirus and operating system all up to date ensures that you are able to maintain security.
- Strengthen your passwords. When was the last time you ran a password update? Well, it’s probably time to do it again. With the same passwords, you’re going to make it easy for people to hack into your account and steal your data. That won’t go down well for your new boss!
- Understand what a phishing email looks like. Hackers will do what they can to be someone else, if only to trick you into clicking their viruses. They want you to think they’re the boss, the bank or even the IT team looking after you, so look out for phishing emails and try to spot them for what they are – fake! Weird spelling, odd grammar and even funky logos can point to a phishing attack. It’s always better to maintain an air of over-caution than it is to be tricked.
- Lock everything up. When your working devices are not in use, lock it all up. Don’t just log off at the end of the day; shut the entire system down and you’ll be immediately protecting your equipment. Don’t forget, hacking is easy when you know how, but doing what you can to protect your equipment is how you can help yourself to stay safe.
