Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, organizations and various companies were forced to take tight measures. They had to maintain the continuity of the work and also ensure that the employees are protected from the deadly virus. Because of it, employees were asked to work from home. It’s been a few months since people have been working from their homes and doing their part. Working from home has become the new normal. But along with that organizations have to ensure whether the home offices are secure or not.
Nowadays, with millions of people working from home, you need to be aware of all the security risks and cyberattacks that might happen when you work remotely. For cybercriminals, home offices have become the main target. But how do we ensure that the home offices are secure?
#1 You Must Provide Basic Security Knowledge To All The Employees Working From Home
All the employees must be given instructions and advice on various security check such as
- Being aware of the email scams or email phishing attacks.
- Do not make use of any public Wi-Fi network.
- Taking steps to secure the home wifi system.
- Ensure that all the devices that you use are secured and safe from any sort of cyber attack.
Organizations must ensure that employees should be repetitively reminded to avoid clicking links in emails from people they do not know. They must see to it that the installation of third-party apps should be confined to bonafide app stores, even on personal devices. They should be given all the proper information as it is likely that attempts to subvert security using phishing attacks will increase at this time.
#2 You Must Implement Multi-Factor Authentication
You must ensure that the organization-based desktop systems and laptops should have multi factor-authentication. With the help of multifactor authentication, access to the device could only be given when the employee (user) is able to pass multiple forms of identification. Single authentication is not very secure. Anyone can easily remember the passwords or even crack them and get access to the system.
With the help of multifactor authentication, you can protect your systems from cybercriminals. Moreover, you can prevent hackers from accessing your company device. This method is also helpful when you are using your personal laptop for work.
#3 You Must Focus On Investing In Antivirus Software
Generally, when employers provide their devices to work from home, the devices already have strong antivirus installed. But what if you are using your personal system or laptop for office work? You must invest in strong, reliable, and trusted antivirus products that keep the system protected from malware and viruses.
#4 Organizations Must Provide People With Strong VPN Access
Deploying a VPN for home offices is one of the best ways to secure confidential data that is used between the core system and remote systems. With VPN services, you get an additional layer of security. How? VPNs are helpful in the following ways:
- VPN is beneficial in hiding the user's IP address
- It helps in encrypting data transfers in transit
- VPN can easily mask the user's location
Generally, big enterprises have already secured the remote system or home offices of their employees but the small enterprises still need to look into the matter, take it seriously, and take actions accordingly. While securing home offices with the use of a VPN, you must choose reliable and trusted providers.
#5 Everyone Should Make Use OF Centralised Company-Permitted Backup System
Employees who work from home offices must follow the company’s security policies. The backup system should be centralized and nothing should be allowed to be stored on the local networks. A centralized system would be administered by the IT department and ensure that the backup system has all the security configuration and it complies with the organization’s security requirements.
#6 Learn To Keep The Physical Workspace Secure
By now, you have known how to keep the systems and laptops secure virtually. But it is also important to ensure the physical security of the home offices. Generally, home offices consist of various office equipment, documents that hold sensitive information. Hence it is very imperative to keep the home offices highly secure.
Summary
Well, the ability to work from home might appear quite appealing. It helps the employees to work from their comfort zone and increases the productivity of the work. But while enjoying the perks of home offices, people must learn to keep them well secure virtually and physically. You have to make sure that the systems are protected from any cyber-attack and also take care of the physical documents and company equipment. Employ these tips to design a secure home office.
