Since the pandemic, many industries have started to embrace the shift to remote working and hybrid working. This has led to more productivity for businesses and a better work/life balance for employees, but one potential problem with this new way of working is cybersecurity.
In an office, there’s usually a dedicated IT team that oversees all of the equipment and cybersecurity measures, but at home, workers often have to manage a lot of security themselves. In this article, we’ll go through some of the security risks that work-from-home employees face and how they can be prevented.
Be wary of scams
Potential scams are everywhere. You’ve probably received suspicious-looking emails and anonymous phone calls before, leading you to question ‘who called me’ and ‘can I trust these links’?
These scam emails, calls, and texts can make you worry about your personal online safety, but when you start working from home, you’ll also have to worry about handling these scams on your work email address or work phone number. At home, it may not be as easy for you to ask the IT team or your coworkers to quickly check a suspicious email, so you’ll need to be extra vigilant and spot the warning signs yourself, such as incorrect email addresses, spelling mistakes, dodgy links, and urgent or threatening messages.
Use antivirus software
To ensure your security when working from home, you need to have antivirus software installed on your computer to block cyber attacks and protect you from suspicious websites. Your employer should provide you with an office computer and pay for antivirus software for their employees, so if you’re not protected, you should contact your employer immediately to discuss your concerns. This could prevent the business from losing a lot of money in a potential cyber attack or data breach.
Don’t let others use your work computer
Once you have your work computer, you need to set strict boundaries regarding who can use it and when. Ultimately, you should only ever use your work computer for work purposes during your working hours, since logging into personal accounts on a work computer could compromise your cybersecurity. Using your work computer for personal matters could also get you in trouble with your boss, so make sure you stick to these boundaries!
Most importantly, no one else should be using your work computer at any time. This could mean that others can access sensitive information or accidentally delete important files.
Webcam covers
When working from home, you’ll probably be using a webcam to attend video meetings frequently throughout the week. However, one potential issue with this is that hackers could access your webcam if you accidentally install malware on your computer, which means they can spy on you and steal any sensitive information that’s in view.
To avoid this, you need to get a webcam with a cover. This will allow you to uncover your webcam when you want to attend a meeting and cover it at all other times. During your meetings, you could also blur your background so that no one can see any documents around you.
Working from home is a fantastic opportunity for many people, but it comes with risks too. Follow the advice in this article to improve your cybersecurity and avoid costly mistakes in your career.
