Remote Work: Security Risks and How to Overcome Them

Working from home comes with its perks. It saves employees the time and money of commuting and allows them to work in a comfortable environment. However, it can bring about a lot of security concerns.

Now that more people are working from home due to Covid-19, hackers may use that to their advantage and target the general public even more. It is essential for us to understand the risks and find out ways to protect ourselves.

What Makes Remote Work Risky?

When you work at the office, the security of your devices and your network connection is handled by a professional IT department at your company. 

However, when you work at home, you probably just connect your work devices to your home network, which is often unencrypted, making it an easy target for hackers. 

Dangers of an unsecured network

Devices connected to unsafe networks are more vulnerable to malware attacks. 

An attack can lead to unwarranted access to your computer and the loss of your work files. This could be a risk to not only information on your device but also your company’s database. 

Experts have already found that you can infect a more extensive network with a single compromised device. If your device is unfortunately compromised, your company’s network could be at risk too. 

These all might sound frightening, but it doesn’t have to be as long as you know what you have to do.

Prioritizing cybersecurity

Strong Passwords

The first thing would be beefing up your account security. Ensure your passwords are secure. You can also set up additional protection, such as two-factor authentication.

Antivirus software 

Download antivirus software on your devices. Use this to scan any files sent to you before opening them at all. You can also run links via these software examples before opening them, just to be sure that they are virus-free.

Cautious about links in emails

We don’t recommend opening links in emails, especially when you don’t recognize the sender’s address. 

If the link seems to be from a platform that you normally use, such as your bank, social media, work account manager, etc., you should enter the link into your browser manually. This will ensure you don’t fall victim to phishing attacks.

Avoid public Wi-Fi networks

Do your best to avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. You don’t know who set the network up, or who else is connecting to it. Hackers can position themselves between you and the connection point and capture your information. 

For the times that you have no choice but to use a public network, remember to secure your connection with a VPN. It will help you by changing your IP Address and secure your traffic through an encrypted tunnel, hackers cannot read or alter any data. By securing your traffic through an encrypted tunnel, hackers cannot read or alter any data.

Update your installed software regularly

Finally, update your apps and programs as soon as you receive a notification. Updates often patch security flaws and can help protect your data. 

With these privacy tips in place, you can enjoy the perks of remote work without worrying about cyber risks.