Remote working was very uncommon until the global pandemic arrived. While it sent everyone home and drew out the possibility of work from home for people worldwide, it also came in with some significant data issues.
Some of these issues included data breaching. Remote working made people extremely concerned about their online privacy. And their concerns were not wrong at all. This new way of working gave birth to innovative data breaching methods and let hackers hack into data more easily than before. To make work from home effective during COVID-19, you can use a VPN.
It’s highly concerning to say that Covid-19 increased the data breach scenario. The uprising in cases became evident rapidly in every quarter of 2020, and many predictions have been made for 2021. According to Accenture’s study of the cost of cybercrime, 68% of business entrepreneurs have felt an increase in cyberattacks.
Why are there more security threats in remote working?
The answer to this is simple, but you need to let it sink in to understand what we mean. Yes, there are more threats than usual in remote working. Why? Because every individual is bound to use their device to connect to a corporate network.
Some devices might be previously subjected to malware. When connected to the network, it allows the malware to spy and collect the data that is being transferred from the device to the network. This could include all personal information of your company’s business or sensitive data, including account details, usernames, passwords, sensitive data, and more.
This is why the security concerns and risks are more serious when remote working takes place.
Steps to take to stay secure while working remotely:
If you’re working remotely, then you need to remain completely safe and protected over the internet and from all kinds of malware. If not, then massive damage can easily take place. These tips can effectively help you in doing so:
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Using an effective VPN:
A VPN is one extremely efficient way to stay protected while working remotely. You need a reliable VPN service for this. A VPN encrypts all your data and keeps you secure from all spies present over the internet.
VPNs also tend to build an encrypted tunnel when you surf the internet. This way, not only can the hackers not spy over you, but your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the government can’t either, and you can stay completely unidentified over the internet.
VPNs also offer compelling security features like a kill switch, military-grade encryption, zero-logs, etc., so your IP address and sensitive information never leaks to anyone.
2. Avoid phishing emails:
One needs to avoid phishing emails at all costs if you’re looking to stay completely protected. You might find one of these emails in your inbox and as much as it seems real to you, try not to open any links present in it unless you have authenticated that it is an official email from your company.
Your curiosity can take you down anytime if you continue this. Try to be as vigilant as possible when working from home.
3. Use an antivirus:
Using an antivirus or antimalware can protect your device from any kind of malware entering it. Many types of malware, including viruses, spyware, ransomware, etc., enter your device and infect or steal your data.
Malware, like viruses, are known to infect your files and is transferred to another device when you share that file with some other device. To avoid malware from troubling you, you need to protect yourself by using antivirus/antimalware.
4. Use strong passwords
You need to set strong passwords on your devices and accounts to not let anyone break into them. In case you’re wondering how hard it would be to remember, you need to understand that there are highly effective ways to store all your strong passwords. You can use a password manager for this purpose.
A password manager keeps all your credentials secure using a master password. You can house all your private passwords and encrypt the company’s data and passwords into that password manager to keep all accounts completely secure.
5. Use two-factor authentication (2FA):
Two-factor authentication (2FA) on all your accounts is one effective way to keep yourself completely secure from the dangerous digital world.
2FA ensures that it’s you trying to log into your account by sending a verification code on your device. You can access your account only by entering the correct verification pin you received, either on your phone number or email.
Enabling 2FA makes it hard for hackers to enter your device as they wouldn’t have access to your phone number or device at all.
6. Secure your home wifi:
One crucial step that you need to take when it comes to your security while being home is to secure your home’s wifi connection. This wouldn’t let anyone spy on you using your home network.
The first step you can take to protect your router is by changing your wifi password. A strong password wouldn’t enable anyone to use the same wifi network. You need to ensure that all firmware updates are installed on your device to curb all security vulnerabilities. You also need to encrypt your wifi traffic. Set the encryption to WPA2 or WPA3 for a high level of security and encryption.
7. Use encrypted messaging apps:
One other way to stay protected online is using an end-to-end encrypted messaging app to chat with your colleagues. Many messaging apps monitor you while you chat, and use this data for their purposes.
To avoid this from happening, use an encrypted messaging app like Whatsapp or Signal to ensure that there’s no one monitoring you while you stay connected.
This will also keep the information you share with your colleagues completely private, including all sensitive data and information.
Conclusion:
Keeping yourself utterly secure over the internet is difficult. You need to make sure that you’re taking the proper steps to keep yourself protected when working from home. While remote working sounds easy and fun, it’s also dangerous for your data. For this, use the effective ways mentioned above to keep all your data secure over the internet.
