Cyber security tips - How to stay safe whilst working from home
Hackers
Since the lockdown, everyone has seen a rise in cybercrime. Whether you’ve heard it from the news, known friends or family members who have fallen victim, or received multiple scams yourself. It’s no surprise so many people have fallen victim to these criminals. With current events distracting us, and less security whilst we are working from home, we're becoming less aware and more vulnerable to potential cyber-attacks. This is why we've put together a list of cyber security tips.
Millions of people are working from home, something many companies had never considered before COVID-19. Therefore, a safe plan wasn’t put in place. The lack of preparation has opened so many businesses up to a volatile environment in terms of cybersecurity.
Hackers have taken the opportunity to exploit and attack unprepared businesses. Security magazine stated back in October that, ‘U.K. businesses have lost over £6.2 million to cyber scams over the past year - with a 31% increase in cases.’
The news will often cover attacks on large businesses such as EasyJet, Fatface, and Npower.
So, it’s not a shock when companies haven’t reviewed their security and created a risk assessment with agreed expectations. It seems cybercriminals are only interested in going after the publicly known, named brands. However, it’s this very thought process that makes them more susceptible to a cyber-attack. Forbes published an article which stated ‘the National Cyber Security Alliance says because of the high cost of cyberattacks, 60% of small companies go out of business within six months of being victimized.’ This proves that all businesses have even more reason to review their security.
You must protect your business from a potential threat. As many businesses have had to adapt to working remotely it’s critical, they also adapt to the changing cybersecurity. Especially as no one can guarantee the number of hackers will have died down once lockdown lifts. Enterprises need to act now. They need to arm themselves with a cybersecurity architecture capable of preventing a serious breach.
Your personal and professional life can become mixed up. So, you must stop yourself from handing over your sensitive information to hackers at the same time.
As working from home has become the norm, here are a few cyber security tips to keep safe and secure.
1. Gain access to a VPN:
If you’re working on a VPN (a virtual private network) it can be a useful tool for keeping your work secure. A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection when you’re working from home.
It’s essential for you and your staff if you’re dealing with any sensitive information such as passwords or storing customers’ personal information.
2. Update your software:
If you or your staff aren’t in the office, it can be hard to keep your software updated automatically. You might not realize it but keeping your software up to date is extremely important. Not only will it improve the performance of the device, but it’ll fix any bugs and improve privacy, or security. Our RMM software ensures all machines are updated globally across an organisation.
By ensuring your employees have the latest software, you’ll be providing them with an additional layer of security whilst they’re browsing the web.
3. Use two-factor authentication:
Two-factor authentication requires you to enter a one-time code or password to finish logging in on a new device. If someone did gain your credentials, they would not be able to access your systems with two-factor authentication.
Working at home can leave you open to hackers even in normal times, and these aren't normal times. With millions of people ordered to stay home, many more people are now working in their personal space, sometimes on their personal computers (which is not advisable) or phones. That makes a much wider target for hackers.
Instead of ignoring a prompt to set up two-factor authentication for your work or personal accounts, set up a strong safeguard with unique passwords and codes.
Two-factor authentication is something we are advising all our customers to implement.
4. Have you received training on how to spot a fake email?
A lot is going on in the world right now. We are all distracted by recent events. However, you need to make sure you’re on guard for any suspicious messages that could come from hackers and scammers.
Cybercriminals will take advantage during times like this. One of the most common types of scams has been from criminals pretending to raise money for the pandemic. However, the more common types of scams that a business might receive include missed deliveries, payments, or credits due. So, even if the message looks identical to the likes of your supplier, you should still be vigilant when handing over sensitive data or money.
These people have no shame in using these difficult times against us. Ensure you and your staff are being extra cautious when clicking links or handing over personal information.
Even if an email looks like it’s from someone you know, be sure to verify it first. You should also keep a lookout for a future article where we’ll be discussing the most common cyber-attacks and how to avoid them.
At CapNet we also offer cyber security training for you and your team. We can teach you everything you need to know about keeping safe online and how to spot a fake email.
5. Create a password policy:
One of our most important cyber security tips is to implement this policy. This way you can ensure your staff are creating safe passwords and preventing anyone from guessing them.
It’s extremely common for so many people to create passwords based on birth dates, children’s names, or pet names. But if this kind of information is common or can be found out about you online, a hacker can find this out using social engineering to gain access to your accounts or device.
Rather than picking an easy password based on the convenience or simplicity of remembering it yourself, make a password policy that ensures everyone is creating strong, unpredictable passwords.
6. Practise safe browsing:
One careless click on a website or link can cause data to be exposed, or your device to become infected by malware. It can be difficult to monitor what sites your staff are using but advising they use sites that have ‘HTTPS’ or have a padlock in the URL will confirm to them that the site is safe to visit.
7. Secure your devices with a screen lock:
By placing a screen lock on your phone, tablet, or laptop, you will be providing an extra layer of security if someone were to get hold of your device.
It can be extremely common for many people to avoid using a screen lock as we constantly have our devices on us so it seems impossible that we will ever lose them or have them taken from us. However, no one can predict that it’ll happen to them, so it’s worth adding and informing your staff to add the extra security on their devices just in case!
With our cyber security tips in mind, you should be able to prevent many of the traps and criminals that lurk online. If you have any more questions regarding ways to keep safe at home and the services we offer to help, please don’t hesitate to give us a call today!