
With shifts towards work-from-home business models, cybersecurity should be front of mind for all business owners. When employees access company data from multiple networks, this provides an opportunity for scammers and hackers to view private information about your company. Creating an effective cybersecurity policy is vital to keep your data and employees safe while working from home.
Tips For Employees Working From Home
Set Up A Virtual Private Network (VPN)
A VPN securely connects your personal network to your workplace. Using one is important when sending sensitive data and private documents. When documents are sent through unguarded connections, someone can intercept and gain access to your data.
VPNs help get your personal computer onto the company server to ensure you work from home with a safe and secure connection. This way you can send private documents to other employees without worrying about potential scammers viewing or stealing your information.
Cybersecurity for Storing Data
Microsoft 365 Applications such as Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint allow businesses to tag documents to restrict access to individuals outside the workplace or Microsoft 365. These connections will be flagged and reported to ensure you know who is trying to gain access, who has received your data and manage these connections securely.
Work Device Access
Working from home can be difficult without access to a personal device used solely for work tasks. If you share a home computer with others in your household, establish boundaries to ensure they are not accessing your private documents.
Others using the computer could also accidentally download viruses that may impact the security of your work files. Some mechanisms can control what happens when someone tries to open a document on someone else’s computer and restricts access, further improving security. When possible, use a separate device for all business work to avoid the risks of sharing a computer with non-employees to prevent data loss.
Stay Vigilant Against Email Scams
Phishing or scam emails are the most common types of data breaches hackers use to access business data, bank accounts, or personal information. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, email scams have become more frequent with emails impersonating the government attempting to get people to click on links for more information regarding vaccinations or restriction updates.
To keep yourself safe, common email scams have a few red flags to look out for. For example, email scams often have bad grammar or typos, suspicious links, mismatched email addresses, and requests for private information like card details or passwords.
Use A Password Manager
Using the same password across multiple websites can be tempting when you run out of ideas for passwords. Therefore, it is important to utilise a password manager to generate new secure passwords and store them safely.
Password managers help keep passwords secure and enhance productivity and save employees lots of time. By having autofill features, you don’t need to spend precious time throughout the day looking for which password you need for every website or program you need to keep working. Most password managers can be added as an extension to your web browser for easy access to all the logins you could need.
Zero Trust Model for Cybersecurity
The future of cybersecurity is rapidly moving towards a zero-trust model. A zero trust model helps organisations secure their data by eliminating trust and validating every stage of interaction online. It is important your business does not assume trust by allowing insecure connections to access company servers from work-from-home devices. Having different stages of security for each employee attempting to access company data is essential to keep your private information safe.
Best Cybersecurity Practices For Businesses
To keep your staff and business safe, it is essential to train employees to spot the signs of phishing and other scams to avoid security breaches. Training users on how to use VPNs and the processes of setting up a password manager are essential to keep your business protected.
Also, ensure to notify staff about updates to security systems since when these are left uninstalled, some security features may be out-of-date or not working correctly. Sending out emails or text message updates can help keep employees up-to-date and ensure maximum security. Make sure to conduct check-ins often to ensure employees understand security protocols and don’t get overwhelmed with the new procedures.
Maximise Your IT Efficiency With Deployus
If you have any questions or inquiries about cybersecurity for your business, contact Deployus today to discuss how you can utilise us as your managed service provider.