Cyber attacks happen at home
With many more people working remotely from home, it is essential that IT standards and security practices are followed. There has been a spike of scams, fraud and cyber attacks during the Coronavirus epidemic.
Here at Eventura, we’ve been working remotely for years – either from one of our offices, a customer site or out on the road. We’ve put together a list of 5 tips to help maintain IT security whilst working from home.
5 IT Security Tips
1
Lock your device
Whether you are in the office or at home, it is essential to lock your device when you are no longer in front of it. Maintaining this simple habit protects sensitive data and restricts access to your device. Keep in mind, any unauthorised access or data breaches caused by your unlocked device directs all the blame back to your user account.
Keyboard Shortcuts
On Windows 10, press Windows Key+L to lock your screen.
For Apple Mac, press Command+Control+Q to lock your screen.
2
Use a secure network
The network that you connect your devices to should be as secure as your office. Make sure your home network has a secure Wi-Fi password, you trust the other devices connected, and everything is patched or updated. If possible, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to secure the data that your device is transmitting.
Confused?
Get in touch or speak to your IT team if you don’t know where to start.
3
Follow policies and procedures
Even though you are working at home, your business policies and procedures must be followed as if you’re in the office. Rather than just ticking a legal box, they help to protect the business, ensure compliance and maintain IT security.
Data protection
If you handle customer sensitive data, such as credit card or Personal Identifiable Information (PII) – you need to follow company procedures to maintain GDPR and PCI compliance.
4
Shred documents
The network that you connect your devices to should be as secure as your office. Make sure your home network has a secure Wi-Fi password, you trust the other devices connected, and everything is patched or updated. If possible, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to secure the data that your device is transmitting.
No shredder?
Not everyone has a shredder at home, use scissors or tear paper manually, then dispose of it. Don’t leave it lying around!
5
Be suspicious!
Cyber criminals and scammers know we are all working from home and see this as an opportunity to attack. Stay alert and even more suspicious when you are working at home. You may receive phishing emails pretending to be a co-worker, phone calls pretending to be your IT support or fake websites that look legitimate.
Slow down and think twice
Double check important requests, call your co-worker after you see that email asking to quickly transfer money!
