4 Ways You Can Create a Cybersafe Home Office
The shift to remote work has revolutionized the workplace. The need to protect your devices and data is more important than ever. Earlier this month, our Chief Information Security Officer Genady Vishnevetsky was featured on our Instagram Live to share cybersecurity safety tips for the home office. Let’s walk through some of his tips for keeping your devices secure while working remotely.
Setting Up Your Home Office
Following your company’s policies and rules is the first step to creating a secure and successful work from home (WFH) environment. Here are some additional ways to create an efficient workspace:
- Have an enclosed, separate space where you can have conference calls without being disturbed.
- Consider setting up a Google or Apple shared family calendar to sync your work schedule. This can help you notify family members when you will have a meeting.
- Use your corporate VPN, so that you can work within a secure network.
Consider Privacy When Taking Video Calls
According to Genady, most of the commonly used video conferencing tools are secured by the vendor. While you may not have to worry as much about the cybersecurity side of using video conferencing tools, there are some steps you can take to protect your privacy on your next video call:
- Use a background filter to cover personal photos or calendars.
- Make sure to use a webcam cover to secure your space when not on video calls.
Some more tips to enhance your video conferencing experience include:
- Stage your workspace with ample lighting, preferably natural light, to help distribute light evenly across your face.
- Keep the camera at eye level or pointing slightly downward to prevent capturing from your chin’s angle.
- Invest in a good microphone, preferably one with its own mute button.
Back Up Your Devices to Protect Your Data
Genady notes that backups are more important than ever. While backing up your devices does not automatically protect you from cyber vulnerabilities, it may help protect your data from ransomware or other cyber-related destruction. Here is what he advises:
- Perform a local backup when your device is offline to protect it from cyber-attacks.
- Consider performing a cloud backup if your company allows them. This method is often cheaper and allows you to access your data while on the go.
- Look for ways to include versioning backups to help save files after a recent update and immutable backups to protect your data from being lost after a cyber-attack.
Use Good Judgment to Prevent Cyber-Attacks
Have you ever wondered why devices may still be vulnerable to cyber-attacks even after installing anti-virus software? Well, it’s usually because of the user. Here are some reminders from Genady that can help you stay alert:
- Web browsing and reading emails can expose you to a potential cyber-attack. Remember to not click on or download any links or files unless you are confident of the source.
- Any links over SMS/Text should be scrutinized and not trusted.
Final Suggestions
Your company’s IT will most likely be unable to come to your home to resolve cyber or device issues. Adopt good practices while online, such as setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) and recovery options.
If you consider using a password management tool, Genady notes that while they are intuitive, there can still be some limitations that come with using them. Some of the leading password managers recommended by Genady include LastPass, Dashlane, and 1Password.
Read Genady’s other blogs to learn more about what you can do to stay safe while working remotely: