How to stay safe while working from home
The flex-appeal of working from home has won over many businesses during the Covid-19 crisis. Global businesses like Oracle, Apple, Google and Amazon have all been restricting travel and encouraging their employees to work remotely as the pandemic continues.
If you are one of the many people working from home in the UK, we’re here to show you and your business how to stay safe during these uncertain times.
Whether you are still travelling into the office, working from home or standing by for remote working, we have collated a list of tips that can help your business stay prepared for any situation.
Access control
Access control is vital to any business whose employees connect to the internet.
If your employees are working from home, it is important that they have suitable access to the files and tools they require.
That said, it is imperative that your business is protecting user accounts to prevent the misuse of access privileges.
By managing the level of access to applications, computers and networks, your business will be able to control this to a large extent.
Password protection
Disruption to your working patterns can lead to you losing things that you usually need throughout the day.
If you are planning on working from home, make sure that you have a list of the important passwords that you need and that you are storing them safely.
Sites like Last Pass give you access to a vault where you can store your most commonly used sites and login credentials. An account like this is a must-have for a remote worker.
Stay on the same page
Although your team may be based in different locations during this time, it is vital that you are all still working together to protect your business’s security.
Any remote worker should be provided with basic security advice, eg beware phishing emails, avoid using public Wi-Fi, and ensure home Wi-Fi routers are sufficiently secured.
Contacts are also important. You and your team need to know who to get in touch with if anyone is experiencing technical or security issues at home.
Protect your devices
Firewall protection is a basic way to protect your business from cyber threats, wherever you are.
A firewall can keep your device safe from hackers that may try to access your network while you are connected to the internet, as it examines incoming electronic data.
Cyber Essentials recommends “that you use and configure a firewall to protect all your devices, particularly those that connect to public or other untrusted Wi-Fi networks. This applies to all devices including boundary firewalls, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, routers and servers.”
Keep your software up to date
Make sure that you are maintaining your own cyber hygiene while you work from home. Bad habits can easily creep in when you are not working from the office.
Keep your devices and software up to date; this includes phones, tablets, laptops and computers. This is a quick, easy and free way to protect yourself while working from home.
How can Cyber Essentials help?
Cyber Essentials enables organisations to become certified independently for having met a good practice standard in cyber security, and protects businesses from around 80% of common cyber attacks as simple security controls must be set in place for certification.
Protect your organisation and grow your business today. Learn more about Cyber Essentials.