8 Useful Cybersecurity Tips for Your Home Office | Antivirus

Working from home may be something new for you, or you may already have experience with it, however, our helpful cybersecurity tips are worth watching.

Regardless, most of us now also need to stay home to work.

There is no doubt, these are unhappy times.

We are all in the same mess now, and we all need to do our best to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

Unfortunately, cyber threats are not paused and, in fact, there is a clear increase in phishing and other cybercrime activities now that most people are working from home.

In the workplace, someone usually takes care of cybersecurity measures.

But when you're working from home, you may need to pay more attention to this. This applies even more if you are using your own computer to work.

To make working at home more secure for you, we've compiled a list of our useful cybersecurity tips for safe remote work.

1. Ensure Your Privacy With a VPN

If you are using a computer provided by your employer, this application must be provided by your company for you.

If you are using your own computer, get a VPN to protect your connection, and encrypt your data.

With a VPN, your important data cannot be accessed by anyone you don't want.

Always use it when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.

Take the free VPN test and see the benefits.

2. Make Sure Your System and Programs Are Up to Date

Programs and operating systems are updated regularly to prevent criminals from exploiting their weaknesses. Make sure your operating system is running the latest version.

Turn on automatic updates to ensure your systems are secure.

3. Protect Your Home Network

Make sure your Wi-Fi network is encrypted with a VPN. If your Wi-Fi requires a password, it's a good start.

Otherwise, access your router's settings to change this.

You also need to change your router's default password, if you've never done so before.

If your router is hacked, the attacker will be able to access your devices and everything you send through the router.

The default passwords for routers are a weak link in protecting them.

4. Use Antivirus Software

There is no way around this, you need to have this kind of security.

It is important to have antivirus security on your personal computer, but it is even more important if you are using your own computer to work.

Preventing malware from compromising your work and your employer's systems is critical.

5. Avoid Overloading Your Screen

During online meetings, be careful when sharing your screen.

If possible, don't leave any windows open that you don't want to share. Accidents happen, and sometimes you can share something you didn't want to.

While it may be strange, it is also a privacy issue.

You may be over-sharing content that should not be shown to others.

6. Watch Out for COVID-19 Related Scams

Internet criminals have extensively exploited the Covid-19 outbreaks, so we’ve included them in our helpful cybersecurity tips

It was the subject of several international and national phishing and scam campaigns.

If you receive emails with suspicious links or attachments related to Covid-19, do not open them.

Better safe than sorry.

Other phishing emails can also be found.

7. Do Not Share Personal Information in Messages or Social Media

In connection with phishing scams, do not share personal information in messages or emails as they may be just another case of phishing.

Verify that the person who sent the email actually did so before sending important personal information.

It is also a risk to share photos from your remote workstation on social media.

You may accidentally share important information while doing this.

The same is true with the use of your webcam.

With webcams, you can also accidentally share a lot about your home or family.

8. Create a Good Working Environment

Since no one knows how long the situation will last, it is a good idea to create a comfortable working environment for you with plants and good light.

An ergonomic office chair and a dedicated table are sure to make a difference.

We hope that with these helpful cybersecurity tips, you can start running your home office safely. Stay safe!