7 Cyber Best Practices for Remote Workers
Since the start of the global pandemic, there has been an unprecedented surge in remote workers. With 4.5 million Americans choosing a hybrid work model, it’s unlikely that things will return to the way they were any time soon. It’s important that employees feel supported, whether they choose to work in the office, at home or a combination of both.
Whether the ideal work environment is at a café, a library, a local park or your kitchen table, there are easy ways to protect the privacy of your work and allow you the flexibility to work from almost anywhere. So, what can your organization do to promote cyber best practices for hybrid and remote workers?
Caution the use of public Wi-Fi.
Enforce the use of a VPN.
Secure your work device with passwords.
Protect your Wi-Fi at home.
Create strong passwords.
Use MFA.
Set up automatic updates.
Caution the use of public Wi-Fi.
While working out of a café seems to be trending, public Wi-Fi is a cybercriminal’s playing field. If you are sending or receiving important documents, anyone can see it, so always be mindful of who can see your screen. Be conscious when entering passwords or when you are working with confidential information that folks around you may be able to see your screen and may intentionally try to sneak a peak.
Enforce the use of a VPN.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) protects the confidentiality of information you are sending or receiving while using a public network. Applications such as TunnelBear encrypt your Internet connection and allow you to enjoy work from anywhere.
Secure your work device.
Secure your work device with passwords and make sure you lock your device whenever your work area will be out of sight, even if it’s just for a minute! Don’t leave private information open unattended and avoid writing down confidential information whenever possible.
Protect Wi-Fi at home.
When working from home, make sure your home Wi-Fi is protected. Ensure you have set up a unique network and enable WPA2 encryption at a minimum.
Create strong passwords.
Don’t reuse passwords, especially not from your personal accounts for work devices and vice versa. You wouldn’t want your personal life seeping into your work life – so keep your passwords separate!
Use MFA.
Multi-factor Authentication is an extra layer of security that confirms your identity by using 2 or more factors. Think of MFA as something you know like a password, security question answer or pin; something you have like a card with a chip, a texted authentication code or authentication app; and something that you are such as a fingerprint, retina scan or a picture ID.
Set up automatic updates.
This covers any newly released patches so your devices and software are secure.
Remote work doesn’t have to be risky work. Informed employees that are given the tools to properly protect their devices can help your organization mitigate cyber risk.