Useful Cybersecurity Tips for Remote Workers

Remote work may be a new trend in the future, but it’s starting to be a bit of push. Recently, an increasing number of people are forced to work at home due to coronavirus outbreak. However, as much progress is being constantly made on network techniques, remote work will really be the new trend of future work. As soon as working at home is widely accepted, your income will inevitably go up because the flexibility allows you to carry out more tasks within the same time.

However, staying away from cubicles means you’re more possible to be attacked by cyber hackers since all your work is done on your own PC or laptop and your privacy won’t be clearly isolated with your work staff. Your communication with the outside world only depends on your own email address, cell phone number and social media account so that more details concerning your privacy may be exposed to risks on the Internet. Besides, opportunist liars take advantage of hot topics to lead you to click dangerous clicks through phishing email so as to expect careless people will unintentionally provide their bank account password or other important data. Therefore, remote work should really start from a secure beginning.

Tip#0: Keep High Cybersecurity Awareness.

Everyone should protect online security and privacy but not everyone knows it and does it.

Never take your online data or activities for granted. If not well protected, they can be easily got or abused by the wrong hands. Even an ordinary person should protect cybersecurity as long as a bit of trace is left on the Internet. As increasingly more devices get connected with each other due to network, tons of information is transmitted between them. The Internet world is full of wonders but of online traps as well. Internet risks are hidden everywhere, and they can be disguised in different appearances. Worse still, your sensitive information can be obtained without any of your knowledge.

In the case of remote work, your devices will take more part in contact with the Internet, with risk opportunities dramatically going up. Therefore, cybersecurity awareness should be rooted in your brain. No matter what you’re doing on the Internet, cybersecurity terms should be grasped within your hold. Be cautious about each click and you’ll enjoy your online browsing more securely.

Tip#1: Be Cautious about Your Email.

Emails carry most online attacks. During this special time, any email titled with coronavirus should be especially alerted.

Most suspicious emails pretend to be deriving from reliable sources. For example, the email address possibly has such an end as @facebookhelp.com, leading you to believe this email comes from the Facebook official support center. It usually requires you to upgrade by link clicking or to change your password from the given link. All the above clicks are dangerous because you’re mostly redirected to a malicious website where your personal information will be illegitimately stolen. What’s worse, malware may be rooted in the given links, as you click them, malware can be automatically rooted in your device. That’s a huge danger.

Other phishing emails contain content giving you stress, warning or extreme surprises. No matter what is contained, the essential aim is to lead you to click. Therefore, get fully cautious about your email and think twice before you click.

Tip#2: Opt for Secure WiFi.

Public WiFi can be entered by anyone and it should be avoided.

Sharing the same WiFi with anyone lets all your online activities be naked to your co-users. Your device can be easily attacked due to high vulnerability within the insecure WiFi range. Although the quarantine due to coronavirus outbreak makes you suffer from high pressure from network cost, insecure WiFi connection is definitely NOT suggested for the sake of your online security and privacy.

Generally speaking, WiFi owners don’t like to share their network with others so a password is set to stop others from using it. As you stay in a coffee shop or even stay at home, the WLAN networks without any demand for passwords should never be connected. Most possibly, it’s a hotspot established by hackers to steal your online data.

Tip#3: Choose Secure Connection.

Secure connection is difficult to be found even though you use your own safe WiFi connection.

Now that public WiFi isn’t suggested to be connected due to potential security risks, secure connections should be made to get onto the Internet. Unfortunately, a secure connection is difficult to be found even though you use your own WiFi connection. All your online activities are available for your Internet Service Provider based on your IP address that not only indicates your geological locations but also monitors all your requests sent from it. Simply speaking, your IP address is your unique identity when you stay on the Internet.

For a secure connection with the Internet, your IP address should be kept unknown by third parties. You can use a Virtual Private Network, also called a VPN. As a VPN is used as you browse online, your IP address can be well masked and all your online activities can’t be thereafter tracked by ISP or other parties. Apart from that, a VPN can be used to do more.

Tip#4: Use Antivirus Software.

To stop viruses from damaging your computer, antivirus software should be installed on your PC or laptop to regularly kill viruses. Remember to upgrade your antivirus software to the latest version to catch up with the latest malware or virus.

As your device gets infected by viruses, there’ll be “symptoms” such as sudden battery consumption, extremely slow running, abrupt breaking down without any reason, unexpected extensions or add-ons on your browser. Keep an eye on all the above changes and you can stop viruses from damaging your device too deeply.

Tip#5: Audit Your IoT Devices.

Remote workers shouldn’t mix your work with life, especially on the same device. If conditions permit, use different computers to respectively deal with your work and life.

Up to now, you’ve probably known the significance of stopping strangers from sharing your personal WiFi network, but what about devices? IoT devices usually get connected with you through Bluetooth or WiFi connection. As you constantly use your IoT devices, your devices have learned to know you better. For example, they can know what type of shows you like to watch, what’s your favorite songs and what is usually bought by you when you shop online. As such, your online activities can be mastered by your IoT devices and they can come up with a sketch of yours.

As your IoT devices are connected with your cell phone based on your own WiFi connection, your online activities can be tracked based on the IP address as well. Fortunately, as a VPN is used with your IP address hidden, your IoT devices won’t get you.

Tip#6: Don’t Use the Same Password All the Time.

Using the same password all the time saves your memory efforts but brings forward online risks.

Passwords are so important for your online security and privacy. Using the same password all the time saves your memory efforts but brings forward online risks. Among all the disadvantages of using the same password everywhere, online security and privacy risk top the list. As you work at home, it’s more significant to protect your passwords and keep them difficult to get. Using complex passwords and two-factor authentication can help to lift your security level.

Tip#7: Stay Away from Misinformation.

Remote work means you have little direct contact with others and you should be informed by news deriving from official sources, which is especially true in current depressing time. To stay secure when working at home, you should stay away from misinformation, which will fill in your curiosity hollow and stop you from getting cheated by unreal news. For example, as you receive an email titled “This Medicine Can be Used to Cure Coronavirus”, you don’t need to click it because there’s no such medicine up to now. The email must be a phishing email. This tip should be shared with your children and parents because most of them tend to fall into such traps.