Whilst I am fully in the camp for finding the positives in any situation, I feel it is important to protect ourselves as much as we can to prevent possible threats. I am personally enjoying working from home, my inner introvert is very comfortable with the situation.
It is still crucial that we remember we are still working with business data on a daily basis and we are also exposing our families a lot more too.
To help protect what is valuable to us, I have come up with a list of top tips to help you stay secure.
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Pay close attention to URLs. Always check the credentials of the websites before you login.
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Don’t save your login information in your browser.
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Turn bluetooth off when not in use. Turn off automatic pairing.
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Beware of social engineering attacks - anything that feels to good to be true probably is. This is more than just email phishing, information could also be taken gained from you by phone, texting, social media and fake news articles.
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Cybercriminals prey on the fears of others, and they will use the current global climate to trick you into clicking on a link or sharing personal information. They will impersonate any offical organisation in order to trick you into trusting them.
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Use strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. Use an online password manager, such as LastPass if you struggle to remember all of your passwords.
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Make sure your home Wi-Fi access point is secured by changing the default password that comes with your home router to something strong and unique. in the settings, the encryption should be set to WPA2 or WPA3.
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Be aware of all the devices connected to your home network. This includes games consoles, baby monitors and TVs for example. Make sure all of them have secure settings and passwords. Only connect devices you can trust.
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Ensure all applications and the Operating System on your devices are updated as soon as the update is released.
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Use two-step authentication wherever you can, to secure your account. It adds an extra layer of security as passwords are now easily crackable. The extra step could be an email or text message confirmation, a biometric method such as facial recognition or a fingerprint scan, or something physical, such as a USB fob.
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Do not take photos of your laptop screen and post them on social media - an attacker can often get more information than you could ever imagine from posts like these.
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Ensure you keep the anti-malware application up-to-date, as new threats are developed everyday.
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Remember to backup your data regularly, ransomware is on the rise and you need to have copies of your most valuable information.
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Devices are more likely to be stolen whilst they are away from the office. So don’t leave them in the garden on a nice day.
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USB drives are also easily lost or misplaced, so don’t use them to store confidential business data.
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Secure any internet connected camera settings as they are vulnerable to attack to - if in doubt, cover with a sticker. IMPORTANTLY...
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Make sure that your family understands they cannot use a work device. They can accidentally erase or modify information, or, perhaps even worse, accidentally infect the device.
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Report any losses or concerns through the appropriate channels as soon as you can.
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Remember company policies i.e. IT Security, Health and Safety etc. now extends to the home.