How to stay safe when working remotely?
The COVID-19 pandemic and worldwide quarantine have shifted the way we spend our daily life. As the lockdown began, most office employees switched to working from their homes left to their own devices and technical skills. It became quite a challenge for those who were lucky enough to keep their job and continue working remotely. Those who unfortunately lost their position due to the pandemic are now seeking for sources of income — and freelance seems to be a good option since it allows working from home and be relatively independent.
Both groups face difficulties when working from home because rarely our living areas are suited for work. Also, many people find it very hard to remain concentrated when all the family is home, too, and all the entertainments like Netflix, gaming, or just sleeping in are so easy to reach. However, as months have passed, quite a lot of remote workers got adjusted to these changes and now manage to be productive even though many businesses keep their offices closed.
But the productivity and distractions are not the only problems remote workers face. There is another one that’s quite important but many people seem to overlook it — your personal security and the security of the company you’re working in. Offices are often quite protected from most hacker attacks and data breaches as security specialists keep computers and the WiFi network safeguarded. Unfortunately, we rarely have such a level of protection in our homes. So, what can you do to remain safe?
First of all, follow the basic security rules
Regardless of what you’re doing online — working or merely just minding your own business — you should remember several ground rules that will protect your privacy. We’re sure you’re familiar with these, yet it never hurts to refresh the memory.
- Use an antivirus
Even though everyone is aware of the importance of antivirus programs, lots of users don’t have one installed on their personal devices. And that’s a big mistake because malware didn’t go anywhere. In fact, it became more advanced and now allows hackers to have even more control over infected gadgets and data stored on them. So just get yourself a nice antivirus, it’s easy. Especially considering that many popular providers offer rather solid free versions.
2. Avoid phishing and don’t enter suspicious websites
Phishing also became more sophisticated as hackers started using big data to personalize malicious emails and messages. Before clicking any links and downloading files you’ve received, check the sender’s name and email address. Malefactors often use similar-looking names — for example, Arnazon instead of Amazon. Hackers can now track down your activity and intercept your email when you’re shopping online, for instance. Then they can send you a phishing email with the link to the payment page. Thus, in the best-case scenario, you’re going to lose money. In the worst-case scenario, hackers have your bank card data now.
3. When it comes to suspicious websites, Google made it very easy. It will show you the warning if you’re going to enter such a site. So just listen to wise Google and leave this website for your own good. Another valuable habit to adopt is to hover your cursor over a link and look in the lower-left corner of your browser (works for most browsers) to see the real link that hides behind the anchor.
4. Keep your WiFi network and all devices protected with passwords
While most people are already okay with having passwords on their home WiFi networks, many still neglect the need to use passwords for their devices. While it won’t really protect you from hackers, it will definitely safeguard your data if a gadget gets lost or stolen.
5. Use strong passwords
Yet another rule many people forget about. Today we have all those neat password managers that will remember strong combinations for us, so there is no excuse for using “0pass1” or something like that as your password. Let the manager create a unique reliable combination of letters and numbers and remember it for you. Next time you’ll need to log into that account, the tool will fetch you the password. Also, use multi-factor authentication everywhere it’s available — thus you will protect your accounts from hackers even if they find out your login data.
Use a VPN when working remotely
Quite a lot of tech companies have already adopted this rule. They’re supplying their remote employees with VPN asking them to use those during work. Businesses are doing that because they want to protect their corporate data. It’s impossible to control the environment a remote person is working in. If they’re connected to an unprotected WiFi network, they expose their employer to a potential data leak. Hackers can easily get into such a network and then crawl into a device connected to it to steal data. A VPN hides the IP address of a gadget thus making it invisible for hackers — they can see someone is connected to the WiFi but they lack information to get into this device.
We advise you to use iNinja every time you’re working from home or from some other location. You can never be sure your WiFi network is perfectly safe. And if you’re thinking that no one will want to hack your device, think again. Hackers may be interested not in your personal data, but in the data of your company.
Safeguard your WiFi network
It’s a tricky one, especially if you are not good with tech. You can simply look for an antivirus that offers endpoint protection or security for routers. The provider will guide you if you face any problems, but today antivirus software is simple enough even for the least tech-savvy person to understand. This guide elaborates on how you can protect your home WiFi from hackers.
The bottom line
Now when so many of us are working remotely, it gets easier for malefactors to get their hands on sensitive data. And we should protect both our information and the data of businesses we’re working with. Simply following these rules and using iNinja will make a huge difference in your security.