With most businesses adopting and encouraging remote work, it is necessary to consider device security for those working from home. Although it has advantages like convenience and cost-cutting, remote working exposes employees to a myriad of cybersecurity threats due to being away from the advanced security infrastructure provided at the office. It also passes the responsibility of securing company data and systems to employees.
To help you protect your work devices at home, as well as reduce your vulnerability to cyberattacks, here are the best practices you should adopt.
1. Secure Your Home Wi-Fi
Whether you are entirely working from home or you need to check on a few work emails over the weekend, you need to ensure that your home network is secure to protect your work devices. Since your Wi-Fi network connects to all your gadgets, any unauthorized access to your home network puts all your devices once you connect to the network.
If an attacker uses your home internet to commit fraud, for example, you may be held liable. Securing your home Wi-Fi doesn’t have to be complicated and only involves setting a strong password for your Wi-Fi and router. On the same note, avoid using the same password for multiple accounts, as one
security breach can compromise all your accounts.
2. Update Your Apps and Software Regularly
Cybercriminals take advantage of loopholes in old software versions to infiltrate systems. Software and application updates always come with better features, including security fixes for existing loopholes, as well as new vulnerabilities and threats. To protect your work device, always ensure that your software and applications are up to date. You can achieve this by enabling automatic updates on your gadgets, so you don’t have to check and install them manually.
Automatic updates give you access to new updates as soon as they are available. They, therefore, protect your device from threats that take advantage of vulnerabilities in old versions. For applications and software that don't support automatic updates, you can buy software programs that help identify and manage all your installed updates.
3. Utilize Firewalls, VPNs, and Antivirus
Firewalls, VPNs, and antivirus software act as your device’s form of defense from outside attacks. Not only do they help with encrypting your data they also protecting your online activities from unauthorized access. Antivirus software also helps identify and remove malware that may jeopardize your work systems.
Ensure that all your work devices have antivirus software. You should also install a firewall on all the devices connecting to your network. It is advisable to keep all your security software up to date for better protection. Note that some antivirus software comes with extra security. These include website-blocking for suspicious websites, parental controls, as well as email protection for extra security.
4. Watch the Email Links You Click
Phishing emails are some of the most common ways for cybercriminals to introduce malware to devices and steal sensitive information. Usually, the links appear to be from trusted companies or officials to persuade you from clicking them. To protect your work device at home, always be cautious when opening email links and attachments.
Avoid clicking on those with unusual or suspicious demands. It is advisable to confirm any suspicious email communication before taking any action and report any phishing emails for safety purposes. On the same note, only download items to your work device from trusted sources.
Conclusion
With the best technologies at your disposal, you can adequately protect your work devices and minimize security breaches. Contact Hummingbird Networks for reliable IT and network solutions, including security assessments to keep your networks protected at all times.
