Working from home has become considerably more common in the aftermath of the pandemic. Even after the pandemic has passed, many experts believe that remote working will continue to be popular in a variety of industries.

While working from home offers numerous advantages, it also exposes individuals and enterprises to a variety of cybersecurity dangers. As a result, it is critical to give home cybersecurity serious consideration. Most cybersecurity work from home threats can be readily mitigated by adopting best practices.

Unfortunately, remote working and cybersecurity concerns are inextricably linked. Cyber risks to individuals and organisations continue to loom big as the COVID-19 outbreak appears to be far from ended. Investing in powerful technology solutions that safeguard your network, as well as training staff in cybersecurity so that they create healthy remote working practices, is now the only solution.

If you enable a large number of your workers to work from home, you must follow a few simple guidelines to secure your devices and your network from cybercriminals.

Updates should not be postponed.

If you receive a notification that a software update is available for any of your devices, make sure to install it as soon as possible. Updates to software (including antivirus products) correct security holes and help protect your data.

It’s critical to pay attention to notifications for operating software upgrades and changes that influence your apps on your smartphone, especially if you use the same phone to manage your business and personal lives.

At home, use antivirus and internet security software.

Investing in a complete antivirus package for you and your staff is one of the most effective security advice for working from home.According to sources, the global cost of cybercrime to organisations is estimated to be over $1.5 billion per year. As hackers try to acquire access to sensitive files through people’s home internet networks and company VPNs, this number is only going to rise.

You, your company, and your employees could be vulnerable to ransomware, DDoS assaults, malware, spyware, and other forms of breaches as a result of these attacks.

Select Secure Passwords

Passwords protect your gadgets and sensitive information against illegal access. You greatly boost security levels by creating a strong, unique password. You make it more difficult for thieves to obtain access to your systems networks and disrupt them.

 

Turning off the VPN is not a good idea.

You might be using a VPN, or virtual private network, to connect to your employer’s network. Data encryption is used by a VPN to secure information sent between the employer and the employee. It’s intended to keep cybercriminals and spies from stealing critical information like financial papers and consumer information.

If one of your devices has a VPN, don’t turn it off while you’re working. Otherwise, you’ll lose a tool that could stop someone from stealing your confidential information. Also, unless you’ve joined into your employer’s VPN, avoid using public Wi-Fi networks when accessing work-related accounts.

Make use of a centralised storage system.

If your business relies on cloud or server storage, be sure that all of your employees are using it. If you suspect that your employees are unaware of or unfamiliar with your storage service, or that they are still storing files locally, contact with them to ensure that they are aware of the centralised service. If your firm is hacked and local data are lost, destroyed, or compromised, you’ll be more likely to have a backup of critical information. Important documents will also be safer with this strategy, as they will be safeguarded by the firewall tied to your centralised storage system.

Multi-Factor Authentication is an option to consider.

Multi-factor authentication secures an online account (such as your bank account), an electronic device, or a computer network. However, according to the Ponemon Institute and Keeper Security research, 31% of IT experts surveyed said their companies didn’t require remote workers to use any authentication methods at all. Only 35% of IT experts believed multi-factor authentication was required in the 69 percent of firms that did need those techniques.

Separate your electronic devices.

Assume you use your tablet to watch Netflix episodes, your home laptop to pay bills, and your employer’s laptop to work. If that’s the case, maintain it that way. When you undertake work duties on your home laptop, for example, you may be putting crucial business data at risk if your laptop isn’t secure enough.

Furthermore, you should not allow family or friends to use your company-issued gadgets.

Ensure Data Confidentiality by Encrypting Data:

It’s critical to encrypt data at your remote workspace so that it can’t be read. It’s a technique that scrambles the text so that the hacker can’t read it. The communication can only be viewed and decoded by the designated recipient who has the decryption key. When an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate is implemented on a website, it has enormous power.

Firewalls and other security measures should be installed on all devices that your remote workers use for work.

Your company may not be able to afford to safeguard dozens of new devices that have been added to its network. While free antivirus and firewall protection aren’t ideal, they’re still preferable to no protection at all. The Antivirus Software Guide has compiled a list of the top 10 free antivirus platforms for 2020. For Windows 10 users, Microsoft offers Windows Security, a free antivirus programme.

Any antivirus programme is only as good as the patches and updates installed by your workers. It’s critical to remind them that they must update as soon as possible.

Restriction of File Access

All of your files and programmes do not need to be accessible to all of your employees. Protect your network by defining roles and responsibilities, then linking them to the programmes and data required to complete job tasks. If a hacker succeeds in entering one employee’s account, the amount of damage they may do is limited if they are denied access to all of the organization’s files and apps.