by mark shaw
As anyone with small children at home will tell you, this working at home thing is not all it is cracked up to be. Parents are now employees, educators, day care and much more.
This means more than ever we are relying on technology to get our work done. With everyone leaving the office and its technology security blanket, we are opening doors to cyber-attacks.
I know what you are thinking, another article about cyber security and how everything we are doing now is terrible. That is not really the case at all. The facts so far have proven that there has been no major spike in cyber crime, but that does not mean we should not consider some simple and easy ways to work at home safely.
There are several small steps you can do to protect yourself and your company’s data. If you are an employer, you can use this time to refresh what might be an outdated training program.
Consider a cyber-security training program. Even a technology firm like ours still does education for all our staff. OrbitalFire Cyber Security does a great job training, educating, and testing our staff to ensure we all know the basics in the ever-changing battlefield against the bad guys. First thing is always training. All the technology in the world cannot fix human error.
Secondly, we recommend that if possible do not have your work computer be the same one your children use for games and surfing the internet. Using a work device or, if they are unable to provide one, at least a secondary laptop or desktop that its sole purpose is work is advisable. Separating the family computer from the work computer can help to ensure nasty malware has a harder time impacting you.
Thirdly, if you are going to have this computer for work only, you should ask your employer to help you protect it. Security is like an onion, there are many layers. Anti-virus, anti-malware, and crypto-defense type software is a must. This stops the basic first level attacks. Adding in a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to safely connect you to your company’s network is another layer to that security onion.
This ensures that all the data between your computer and your employer’s network is secure and encrypted. Adding 2FA (Security that requires two pieces of data to allow access) to any company web applications will stop most hackers cold. This is where you use your computer and, in most cases, your smart phone to add an extra step before accessing information that is in the cloud.
If you follow some of these simple steps, you will have a better security position both for yourself and your company. Cyber security is not a technology problem, it is a business problem. Every one of us can do simple things to control how we use and interact with our data.
Most of these tips can be used on the personal side as well. Consider using two factor authentication (2FA) for your online accounts.
Many of us do this already because our banks made it mandatory but consider adding it anywhere else you might have personal data you do not want to leak. Almost any reputable website has the option, most of us ignore it or just skip it when asked. Now is the time to take a moment and change that behavior.
Lastly, in the crazy times we are now living, it is important to take a time out and realize that like everything, this too shall pass.