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Working from home doesn’t have to mean working unsafely by Adam Shepherd, Reviews and Community Editor at IT Pro.
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| Working from home doesn’t have to mean working unsafely Photo: IT PRO |
It’s safe to say that 2020 has been an unusual year. As the coronavirus pandemic forced countries around the world into lockdown, many people found themselves experiencing long-term remote working for the first time in their professional lives. There’s a lot to adjust to when working from home, but one of the biggest challenges is the potential impact that it can have on security. There are, however, a number of tips, tricks and tools that can help keep staff safe when working away from the office.
The first matter to address is passwords. While many will argue that passwords are an outdated technology, they still control access to all of our devices and digital services, and so should be treated with the respect that this entails. If you’re re-using the same passwords for multiple services, this can open up major vulnerabilities if one of those services is compromised.
Using predictable or easily-guessed passwords is also a problem; even a password that contains capital letters and numbers may not necessarily be as secure as you think it is..
While we’re on the subject, it’s a good idea to deploy antivirus software on any machines that are used for work tasks (and ideally all of your devices in general). There are a number of capable free solutions which will work well, including Windows Defender. Whichever tool you prefer, make sure to schedule regular scans in order to maintain ongoing levels of protection.
.Finally, it’s very important that staff are aware of the organisation’s internal policies and procedures, particularly around data sharing and security. Make sure that clear, documented guidelines are available for all employees, with refresher training if necessary; this will help staff stick to best practices. Similarly, staff should feel comfortable contacting the IT department if they have any questions or concerns around security issues. If employees think they may have identified a security risk, they should be able to notify the IT team as easily as possible.
Source: IT PRO
