In 2019, fewer than 6% of Americans worked primarily from home. Then, once the pandemic outbreak occurred, the economy had to adapt. In 2020, almost any work that was possible to do remotely became remote work immediately.
Employees and businesses alike learned how to make remote work effective and found there could be more workplace flexibility. Now, remote and hybrid working environments are here to stay.
Keep your devices and data safe by following these cybersecurity best practices for working from home!
Secure Your Home Wi-Fi
It’s important to strengthen your home Wi-Fi network’s security. To do so, follow these steps!
- Change the default Wi-Fi password to one that is strong and unique.
- Change the name of your wireless network without including your name, home address, or other personal information.
- Enable WPA2 network encryption if it’s available.
- Ensure you are running the latest firmware.
- For additional security, limit network access to specific MAC addresses.
Use a VPN
To protect your privacy and have additional security when browsing the Internet, use a VPN (virtual private network). It encrypts the users’ data and masks their IP address, which leaves their browsing history and location untraceable.
This keeps company data secure, even on a public Wi-Fi network.
Keep Work Devices and Personal Devices Separate
While it may be convenient to log on to a work account on your personal device and vice versa, it’s not recommended. Keeping work and personal devices separate minimizes the amount of sensitive information a hacker could access in the event of a security breach.
This measure also keeps family members from using your work devices. A family member could accidentally access company data, install a suspicious app, or otherwise interfere. Having secure, separate devices is an easy way to set boundaries between work and home.
Protect Yourself From Phishing Emails
Scammers commonly send out phishing emails in an attempt to compromise company security and information. They typically impersonate an executive or employee and ask for confidential information, like login information to a bank or work account. Fortunately, preventing these attacks can be as simple as identifying phishing emails.
Be on the lookout for:
- a fake email address,
- grammar and spelling errors,
- suspicious attachments or links,
- threats or a sense of urgency,
- or an unusual request.
Make Sure Your Video Conferences Are Secure
Working remotely often means relying on video conferencing software like Zoom. This can create potential challenges. For instance, “Zoom bombing” was common when the pandemic began. In these attacks, uninvited people were able to bypass security controls and enter private video conferences to intimidate and harass other users.
While Zoom and other platforms have improved their security measures, companies still need to take proper precautions.
- Require a password for entry or control guess access from a waiting room.
- Give each meeting a unique ID.
- Restrict attendee controls.
- Keep software up to date.
Cover Your Webcam When Not in Use
Taking part in teleconferences and video calls requires the use of your webcam. Unfortunately, hackers can hijack webcams and gather restricted information, record meetings, or extort money from targets.
Protect yourself by using a sliding webcam cover for your built-in camera. It’s easy to find online and, with its adhesive layer, it’s easy to install. You can also turn on the blur background feature to prevent people from seeing sensitive data.
Or, if you use an external camera, unplug it when it’s not in use.
Stay On Top of Software Updates
Some software updates are security patches and fixes that prevent hackers from exploiting vulnerabilities. That’s why it’s important to always install software updates, including operating system updates. The same goes for apps.
Most apps should update automatically, but if they don’t, you can check for updates manually on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Create Strong Passwords
Passwords are needed to accomplish almost anything in today’s digital age, from writing an email to transferring funds via online banking. To create a strong password, follow these tips!
- Avoid easily guessable passwords like 123456, abc123, or Password1.
- Do not use personal information, like your name or birthday.
- Use a unique password for each account.
- Update passwords every few months.
- Use at least 12 characters.
- Use a mix of numbers, symbols, and upper and lowercase letters.
Consider using a password generator to generate a new, strong password for each account. You can also use a password manager to automatically fill in login forms with your User ID and password on saved websites.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) keeps accounts even more secure than just using a password alone. This requires two authentication factors to verify one’s identity.
Authentication factors fall into three categories. These are something you:
- know, like a password, a PIN, or the answer to a security question.
- have, like a security key or a one-time verification passcode.
- inherited as a physical trait, like your fingerprint, face, or retina.
Common authentication methods are a one-time passcode, an authenticator app, and a security key or hardware token.
Come to CC3 Solutions
CC3 Solutions specializes in meeting the mobile device needs of your business.
We’ll set up mobile devices with the specific software, settings, and apps you need before sending them out for delivery. That way, everything will be ready to go.
Plus, our buyback program is a simple and profitable solution for organizations looking to get the maximum return on their end-of-life mobile devices.
Contact us today to get started and see what the future of your business could hold!
