5 Cybersecurity Tips for Employees Working from Home
Working from home is becoming extremely popular but comes with challenges for employers who have little to no control over the equipment and connections used in employees’ homes and thus risk security breaches of enterprise data.
If your company has users working remotely, make sure you put policies in place to help keep the end-users and your entire network safe.
1) Update Systems Regularly
Keeping the devices used by employees updated is a good practice and can help make your system more secure. The updates released for your devices or apps should be installed as soon as possible since they are usually created to address security flaws and provide additional protection from cybersecurity threats.
Instruct your employees to pay attention to all the notifications that they receive about updates on their smartphones and computers. In addition, you can set up system policies that will prevent users from connecting to the company network using outdated software or other systems.
2) Beware of Phishing Scams
Scammers are constantly sending out emails to trick users into downloading infected files or sharing critical information. It is often relatively easy for companies to block suspicious emails when employees are using corporate email systems. If they are using their personal email, however, it is much more difficult. This is why it is vital to make a policy that employees can never use personal email for work tasks and train them to spot phishing attempts and avoid them.
If an employee falls victim to a phishing scam on their personal computer, it can significantly impact your corporate systems if they use the same computer to connect to your network.
3) Use Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication
A strong username and password are the first line of security for any computer system. It doesn’t matter if it is a personal device or for work. Setting passwords on every device helps in keeping them safe. Requiring that your employees update their passwords to be complex and secure is a significant first step.
Implementing two-factor authentication when connecting from home is another necessity. Multifactor authentication means that even if an employee has their ID and password stolen, hackers will not be able to connect to your system because they will not have the unique code generated via text or other programs.
4) Keep Work and Personal Devices Separate
While it can be convenient and money-saving to have your employees connect to work from their personal devices, it does open up some additional security risks. Personal devices often lack the proper security programs and software to keep things safe. Requiring employees to use a separate work device gives you much more control over the situation. This is why most employers will provide employees who work remotely with laptops designated only for work-related activities.
5) Use Antivirus and Antimalware Programs
For detecting and removing viruses, spyware, ransomware, rootkits, trojans, and other types of malware, employees should use proven antivirus software that their IT department or contract consultant provides. Whether the employee uses a personal device or a company-provided computer, a good antivirus program is essential.
Putting Security First
While there is no doubt that working remotely is going to continue to grow in popularity over the next few years, it is equally certain that cybercriminals will try to exploit this trend. Any company that offers work-from-home opportunities needs to make sure they have a comprehensive security strategy to keep both employees and the company safe.
