While businesses have adapted to having many of their staff working from home (WFH) because of the pandemic – this means they are working outside of the security of the company’s network and are vulnerable to attack (if staff have a corporate device you’re protected, but many people in the current pandemic are using their own…which means they are the last layer of defense.
Homeworkers’ devices that connect to insecure devices on the home network, or with a poorly secured home router makes them vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
What you can do…
Nobody wants to be that person! That person that lets the attackers into the company network. If you’re working on a company or a personal device, here are some things you can do to reduce the risk of attack:
- BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP. Make regular backups of your key systems and data.
- EMAILS EMAILS EMAILS. Phishing attacks that attempt to steal your details have been increasing during Covid so be cautious of clicking on links sent to you within emails, social media website/apps or unfamiliar websites.
- Make sure you regularly update anti-virus and anti-malware software on all your devices and do not swap files with other computers using USB drives.
- Use strong passwords and change them regularly and vary them for different websites/services or consider using a reputable password management tool. Do not use the same passwords for different accounts, especially work accounts.
- Make sure your router is fully updated. Use a VPN (virtual private network) if you are accessing your systems over public Wi-Fi or insecure network.
Always stay safe online and be more vigilant while WFH.
