Six tips to maintain online safety while working remotely

The number of people working from home has increased manifolds over the last few years since lockdown was enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the pandemic is a thing of the past, many organizations have not yet resumed work from the office because of the cost advantages of letting employees work from home. The other set comprises organizations that have adopted the hybrid model involving coming to the office only two or three days a week.

While businesses and employees found new advantages in these changes, one of the challenges of working from home is staying safe online. Cyber security issues for companies have been increasing in volume and complexity ever since work from home began during the pandemic. 

The more we fix the cyber security issues, the harder they get to manage as the criminals become more sophisticated. Not everyone is computer literate enough to ask what is private DNS or how to go about installing a VPN (virtual private network). The trend of working from home is now here to stay in some form or the other. Here are some tips to remain safe when you're working from home:

1. Always have Internet security software installed

Your IT team should be able to install this for you on your computer at home or on the laptop they provide you while you work away from the office. Internet security has gone far beyond the basic antivirus. Of course, you can still use antivirus software, but other applications must be cybersafe. These typically include firewalls, Wi-Fi scanners, a VPN, and a private server. The threats we're facing aren't just viruses anymore, but they have increased to encompass a much broader range of complexities.

2. A VPN is a must

A virtual private network service offers privacy and security to those working from home or in public. These enable you to connect to a remote server before routing Internet requests to the destination. Any data sent through the server is encrypted correctly and kept safe from prying eyes. A VPN can mask your point of origin and prevent hackers from stealing data. This level of security is a must if you want to secure connections to company assets such as your server. 

Also Read: Five ideas to start a profitable business with Rs 5000 investment

3. Keep changing the passwords

Strong passwords are a must, as is multi-factor authentication. But your passwords should be changed regularly so that you can avoid becoming a victim of hackers. Simple passwords are not challenging for today's cyber criminals to crack and you need to make them challenging. 

If you choose to reuse passwords, you're going to weaken your online security. You don't want to have multiple accounts compromised from the exposure of one single password.

4. Download with caution

Ideally, you should not download anything to your work computer if you have not had permission from your organization to do so. Most work-related websites that we visit usually are safe, but even the best work e-mail can often get fished. While an Internet security system can prevent this, it's important to have common sense surrounding the perfect system. Don't download suspicious links, especially those offering lotteries, bonanzas, and free holidays. Nothing comes free in this world!

Also Read: Three strategies for entrepreneurs to make customers pay on time

5. Keep backing it up

The biggest and most important rule of storing data on any device is always having a good backup. It's important to make sure that if a problem has arisen, such as a device crash or corrupt data, you can restore it and return to work as quickly as possible. With the right backup software, you won't have to worry about missing a backup. Some applications only need to be set up once, and this will continue to back up your computer while it's running. This way, if something does happen to crash, you can at least recall your work and continue where you were.

6. Update your apps

If you have apps on your laptop, then update them regularly. Never ignore those updates that pop up from time to time because there could be new features that include vulnerability fixes that you could be missing out on. There are plenty of operating systems that are known for constant updates, and those can be annoying, but they often do bring with them better security and newer experiences. The updates always include vulnerability flaws as well, and repairing those flaws is important. 

Maintaining online safety when you are working from home is going to keep you and everybody else in your home safe. 

Also Read: How to make payments easy for your customers

Look up our YouTube Channel