By Jeff Anderson
We are in a situation where most of us are required to work from home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. Working remotely and basing your business wholly on digital communication puts it at a risk of suffering data breaches emanating from the existing security threats on the internet; which is an important prerequisite for successful remote working.
This article walks you through some of the best practices that will help ensure cyber safety for your business while working remotely.
Security threats associated with working remotely
Before unveiling the safety tips, let’s take a look at some of the security threats that you should be watchful about.
Malicious scams
You will see many malicious campaigns on your screens. Cybercriminals have released plenty of these with the coronavirus theme. The scams claim to offer such things as relief, regular updates, protect users from the virus, and the like.
These scams are designed to steal your user data and as a business person running your operations remotely; your data is an attractive target.
Unsecured public networks
Using an unsecured network to access your business platform leaves your data at risk. Any employee who connects to the internet via a network that does not require a password and is open to all puts the confidential information sent back and forth at risk of snooping and theft. Unsecured networks are a breeding spot for malicious people who are spying on user activity in a bid to collect and steal confidential data.
Using personal devices for work tasks
While many may see this as an alternative way of getting the job done, this is a move that leaves your business data vulnerable to attacks. That personal device might be running on outdated software or infected with malware. It might not even have a basic antivirus in place creating a way for attacks to find their way into your business network.
Leaving work devices unattended to
You cannot underestimate the potential threat that a remote worker may expose to your entire team if he/she leaves a work account screen open in a public place, as they walk out to answer a call. Next to them could be a malicious competitor who can steal valuable information within a minute.
Employees may also forget their devices in public vehicles or have their private vehicles broken into. These vulnerabilities are easier to deal with in an office setting but when a workforce is at liberty to work from wherever it becomes a challenge.
Poor disposal of sensitive data
You may not have a paper shredder at home but, hey, don’t just throw business documents that you no longer need in the litter bin. Make sure it’s unusable; identity thieves can collect this information, patch it together, and use it against you or lure your clients.
Fortunately, with the right knowledge, discipline, and security tools, you and your team can be able to address these threats.
5 security tips to keep your business data safe while working remotely
Access work data on work devices
Stop switching between personal and work devices while completing work-related tasks. Many a time, the company devices will have all the security features in place. For example, it will have an antivirus, all the application will be installed from legit sources and up-to-date, and there will be security features aimed at blocking malicious sites and content.
Your IT team can get this done, it’s their job anyway. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to follow the same discipline on a personal device. For example, how many times have you clicked the ‘remind me later’ option when issued with a notification on an available update?
Use a VPN
They are famed for bypassing geo-restrictions, but downloading a VPN addresses most security concerns around working remotely. Through a data encryption technology, VPNs make all the data you send or receive over the internet unreadable by hackers or spies should they succeed in stealing it.
Look out for malicious scams
Criminals know many businesses are being operated remotely and will do all within their means to cash on malicious emails, links, and other scams. Avoid clicking on email links from senders you do not know no matter how luring the subject might be.
Lock your device when not in use
Protect your work devices with strong and hard to guess passwords. Do not leave active screens on when not in use. Never leave your laptop or other work devices in your car or public places unless you can keep an eye on it.
Secure your home network
Start by changing the default router passwords and limiting the number of users by enabling WPA2 or WPA3 encryption on the Wi-Fi network. Reducing the number of connected users not only helps lower the vulnerabilities but also allows you to enjoy reliable and faster connections since the network is not congested.
Conclusion
Your remote workplace is now your office, by extension. With the right security awareness policies and practices in place, your business can continue to deliver irrespective of where your team members are working from.