The coronavirus outbreak is leading numerous organizations on a scramble to develop plans for staff to work remotely. Companies hoping to keep employees safe and stop the spread of the disease — while maintaining regular operations — need to look beyond simply sending staffers home with a laptop.
Our goal is always to keep you safe, secure and productive. It is important to practice good cybersecurity hygiene to prevent exposing your business to a cyberattack. It is as critically important in a home working environment as in the office.
If you are considering a remote work or work from home scenario, please contact us so we can help get you set up correctly to access your office computer and the files on your office computer in a secure fashion. Click here if you would like us to contact you about Secure Remote Access.
Here are a few tips for staying cyber-secure when working remotely:
- Secure Remote Access - We can setup secure remote access to your office computers.
- Be safer with strong passwords - Don’t develop a false sense of security because you are comfortably snuggled up at home. Many people don’t practice the same strong password habits on their personal home devices as they do at the office. Use good passwords on your home devices. Refer to our video Better Passwords
- Know what needs to be protected - Jot down a list of everything you don’t want to fall into the wrong hands and determine a security posture for each. Paper notebooks and folders. Company phone. Company computer. Portable hard drives. USBs. Contact lists. Customer lists. You probably have more than you think. Refer to these videos: How to Create a Disaster Plan and 4 Questions to Ask About Your Information
- Using public Wi-Fi - Not recommended. Everybody should know the danger by now, yet 81% of recent survey respondents said they still use public Wi-Fi. If you are going to use the unsecured public network at your local coffee shop or library, think twice about exposing your company’s private information this way.
- Ramp up your security awareness - While you are working, be aware that you might receive a tidal wave of malware-loaded COVID-19 phishing attacks. Cybercriminals are playing off people’s anxiety from the pandemic.
- Guard your login credentials - When working remotely — especially in a public space — take care to guard your login credentials. If they are seen or shared accidentally, you’ve made tracking down illegal access very hard for the security team.
- Be smart and ratchet up your security outlook - Keep your family and friends from using your work computer. Install an antivirus program in your home system. Get a copy of your company’s security policy and follow it. Lock up or shred confidential documents — and don’t toss them in your home recycling bin. Don’t leave your laptop, documents or other devices in your car. Keep track of your smartphone. These common-sense steps will make you look like a security pro.
As always, let us help you stay Safe, Secure and Productive! Contact us at 580-782-2266 for help.
