Security Factors to Consider in a Work From Home World

The past year has brought about a “new normal,” which has found most of us working from home. While the pandemic trudges on, many are settling in for this work environment to continue for some time, if not indefinitely. At AMPlify, we want to help you ensure that as you work from home, you are supported to make this new normal of working “work” for you.

Specifically, I wanted to address the issue of security while working from home. Accompanying this rise of at-home workers laboring away in their living quarters are additional security concerns that cannot simply be swept under the rug. Let’s discuss a few security factors to consider as you forge ahead in this new work-from-home world. 

Online Exposure

Among the countless challenges that have plagued home workers in the area of IT security is that, by nature, online work heightens cybersecurity risks exponentially. Why? Remote workers no longer have the same security protections that their previous office systems provided, including safety features like firewalls and blacklisted IP addresses. 

In short, as most of our tasks are now conducted entirely online, we are exposing our data to a much greater degree. The harsh reality of it is once something is on the Internet, it’s like a neon sign begging for a cybercriminal to come along and compromise it. This is not meant to scare you but rather to make you aware of the importance of educating yourself so you can stay safe while working from home.

Phishing

Let’s talk about phishing—and not the fun pastime enjoyed by many. Among specific concerns facing remote workers is the rise of phishing emails, particularly since the onset of the pandemic, with scammers seeking to capitalize on the current environment of uncertainty.

Personal Devices Dilemma

Yet another significant risk facing remote employees is that they are using their own devices, such as iPhones and other mobile devices, which are notoriously more difficult to protect from cyber sabotage. With this in mind, whenever possible, it would be ideal to conduct your work on a corporate laptop with remote access security controls. When I say this, I mean that it should be outfitted with such features like 2FA (two-factor authentication), a security measure that helps decrease the risk of your account being compromised. 

Taking such a measure also guarantees that you are provided with the needed tools for optimum protection, such as anti-malware software and the most current applications. For instance, recently, there have been notable vulnerabilities in VPN software, making it all the more imperative that you ensure your VPN solutions are up to date.

What else is included when you utilize a corporate laptop? Your company’s IT team is granted access and oversight to your account. This enables them to keep close tabs and be alerted when anything seems off, such as the indication of malware or any unauthorized logins from dark forces lurking on the world wide web.

What Now?

Rather than just voicing the security concerns that come with the new normal of working from home, AMPlify wants to help you address and control these risks by developing a customized, proactive approach to face it head-on. We can provide you with everything you need to know to make sure you and your organization are in a good position, protected, and able to fend off unwanted cyber-attacks and data breaches.

Simply reach out; I’m here to help you meet these challenges.