Now that just about everybody that can is being encouraged to work from home, it is a good time to go over how you need to keep things protected to do so. You may not think that your work is particularly sensitive and needs to be protected, but that is not the right way to think.
Hackers are always looking for an easy to access score and if you let them in they will hack into your system and you never know how that will play out. Even if nothing of value is gained on their part, you may be out of a job for not taking precautions.
And it isn’t just your computer or internet that needs to be secured. You also have to think about how your home office may be more vulnerable and need to solidify a security plan for that as well.
In this article, I will go over all the ways that you can protect yourself if you are working from home.
1) Upgrade Your Security System
You may already have burglar alarm systems set up for your home, but you may want to have one that is smart so you can be even more protected.
When you upgrade to a smart system you can be more proactive about your security and prevent a robbery easier. In the old systems, you only knew that you had been broken into when the alarm would sound. Now, you can keep an eye on things to make sure you don’t get robbed to begin with.
This is ideal as you can often do things remotely when you have a smart system. If you have packages dropped off often due to your work, then having a camera will allow you to see when somebody is at the front door. When you are expecting a package you’ll know when it arrived so you can get it immediately and avoid the risk of porch pirates.
You can also lock and unlock your door remotely with smart locks in case you forget to lock after you’ve left the house.
2) Encrypt Your Network
The most important thing to do when you are working from home is to keep your network secure against hackers. You’ll need to have several levels of protection, but the first barrier to entry should be encryption.
Luckily, you don’t need to know how to code or be technical in any way. In your router settings, there is an option to set it to an encrypted signal. This makes it very difficult for a hacker to gain entry into your network. Once in then they can find out your passwords for things like bank accounts and any of the passwords you need to log into your work portal.
You should also be doing simpler things like changing your wifi password every few months and using an auto generated one so it is impossible for somebody to guess.
3) Save Your Backups Offline
Keeping your files in the cloud or on a local computer is not a great idea in general. And when it pertains to your work, it’s an even worse idea. You are leaving files to hang out where they are most vulnerable and susceptible to hacking.
Instead, download your files and store them on a portable hard drive like a flash drive. You can store a lot of files and keep them away from any hacker since they are not attached to anything online. This is especially important if you do work outside the home and rely on a public wifi connection.
