The number of people working from home, at least part time, has been steadily rising over the last few years. It sounds so easy to simply “work from home” – you don’t have to drive anywhere, you’re available to meet the pest control guy, and you don’t even have to wear closed toe shoes if you don’t want. The reality is, this type of work arrangement typically requires a lot of thought and preparation. Employees need to arrange a dedicated workspace, organize a routine, and have effective communication tools and tactics.
With the expansion of stay-at-home orders in response to COVID-19, many employees and employers find themselves transitioning to this arrangement unexpectedly. Added to traditional home office configurations could be the challenge, and stress, of taking care of children or older parents also now home all day.
For many, the option of working from home is simply a short-term solution. However, at this time we don’t have a clear understanding of how long “short-term” really means. In that regard, it’s best to arm yourself with the best tools possible and keep “business as usual” as familiar as possible. The World Economic Forum shares some steps you can take to protect yourself and your company from cybercriminals.
We’re also sharing 8 things we are doing to keep our systems at PS Lightwave secure:
- Make sure your home WIFI network is secured with a strong password
- Run all Windows Updates on any computer you are using to access your company resources
- Log out of your VPN/Remote Desktop Session when not in use
- Do not check the box to remember your password when logging into your desktop remotely
- IoT security – It’s likely your employees fall into the 66% of Americans that have an IoT device at home. To safeguard against breaches, the recommended best practice is to deny traffic to and from the device unless it’s to an authorized host and using an authorized protocol.
- If you have an anti-virus/malware protection software on the personal computer you’re using for work, make sure it’s updated and running. If you don’t have one, contact your IT staff to provide one.
- Consider your cloud security – When working from home, uploading documents to the cloud can be a convenient way to connect and share with co-workers. Make sure your cloud security is layered to prevent unauthorized access, encryption, and meets regulation requirements.
- Attackers are taking advantage of the Coronavirus pandemic by sending phishing emails claiming to contain urgent Coronavirus news and information on how to protect yourself from it. Take a moment to think before downloading attachments or clicking links in any email or message. If the email claims to have some breaking Coronavirus news, do a Google search or go to a trusted news site instead of following the link.
We hope these lists help you organize your own safety protocols.
PS LIGHTWAVE provides high-speed, fiber Internet for public and private commercial entities in the Greater Houston and surrounding areas.
Through our high-quality infrastructure, innovative technology and expert, locally based support, we deliver not only the best in connectivity and reliability but in scalability and redundancy. We invite you to learn more about our services, our history and our dedicated team.
