kamran sharief Remote work is no longer just an anter option for many people. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions across the globe to perform their official duties from within the confinements of their homes. While remote work does offer some added benefits such as the relaxation of attire and schedule, there are some significant drawbacks in a work-from-home environment. The most critical aspect of remote working that should monitor sensitively is cybersecurity.
Taking cybersecurity measures means taking all the necessary precautions to secure and safeguard your important data from unauthorized parties. Intruders are getting smarter and coming up with new and innovative ways for data breaches and cyber-attacks. So, we decided to form a quick cybersecurity checklist for all those who have started to work from home.
Table of Contents
VPN
A Virtual Private Network or VPN offers a means for remote employees to access confidential company data on a secure private network. Companies need to implement VPN networks for all remote workers to ensure a safe working environment.
That being said, if employees don’t use a reliable VPN, the situation may even backfire. There are several outdated or unreliable VPN software that falsely claims to secure your network. Even though every remote worker should utilize a VPN service, but the higher authorities should approve the service before implementation.
Software Update
Data breaches or malware attacks are getting more sophisticated by the day. Hackers have taken on more complex methods that can secretly intrude on your device without you knowing about them.
Software updates are one of the best methods for tackling such threats. Developers frequently release updates patches that rectify and modify existing flaws and shortcomings in the software. It is a good habit to update your software as soon as an update is released.
Data Backup
If you are one of the unlucky ones who has become a target of a data breach, there is not much that you can do unless you were smart enough to create a backup of your important data elsewhere.
You never know when or where you will target. Backing up your data regularly gives you an added layer of protection against such threats. Your means for backup are up to you: you might want to opt for offline storage means such as portable hard drives, or you could even go for online cloud storage services such as Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
Antivirus
Antivirus software is the first line of defence against several major threats. This software provides various manual and automatic scanning capabilities that allow you to remove or prevent any potential threats to your system.
However, it would help if you were cautious about selecting an antivirus software that genuinely provides the safeguarding measures you are looking for. More often than not, antivirus software claims to protect your system from all possible threats, but at the time of execution, they fail miserably. We suggest having a look at antivirus software such as McAfee and Avast.
Reliable Collaborative Tools
When you are working from home, the most significant change in the dynamics will be in terms of communication and collaboration. Now, you do not have your colleagues and supervisor a cubicle away so you could ask for assistance or convey any message.
Now, you need help from some of the best remote collaborative tools available in the industry. Good communication and the collaborative tool should not only provide you with means to conduct audio, video, and textual chats, but it should also secure all your sensitive communications with end-to-end encryption. This would ensure that none of your data ever falls into the wrong hands.
Reliable Internet Service Provider
A reliable internet connection is probably the most crucial resource that you will need while you work from home. Now that all your official activities have shifted to a digital environment, you need an internet service that does not fail you when the time comes.
Moreover, the right internet service provider can create a safe and secure digital environment for you. With additional perks and benefits such as security suites and complimentary antivirus software, you would be better able to safeguard yourself from all unwanted visitors.
Trusted Sources
To prevent any potential threats ever to infiltrate your computer systems, you have to be extra careful of the resources you turn to. These include any portable hardware that you might connect to your systems such as hard drives and USB drives.
You need to take the sources that you access digitally seriously as well. There are a number of websites that have flooded the web with potential hazards and tracking capabilities that you would not want for yourself. No matter how legitimate a source might seem, do a thorough background check before you click on any link from third-party sources.
Be Safe!
You should never take cybercrime lightly. You may be safe from all physical harms outside, but the consequences of cybercrimes are just as severe. We hope that you will go through all the pointers mentioned above and create the perfect cyber-environment for your remote work.