Beware of scams relating to COVID-19 – Sadly, Internet criminals have widely exploited the outbreak of coronavirus. We have heard numerous stories about scam and phishing campaigns. There have been a lot of emails going around whereby hackers are posing as the government, making people believe that they are applying for monetary aid, when, in fact, a scammer is simply trying to get access to their computer. If you get emails with any suspicious attachments or links relating to COVID-19, don’t open them. Never give out your social security number or credit cards.

Use applications that have been vetted or approved by your company – When you are completing tasks and collaborating with others, it is always important to stick with the tools that your company has vetted and approved. Do not substitute these with your own preferred tools.

Update everything whenever you are prompted to – You need to make sure that all your applications, programs, and systems are kept up to date. Updates are released because companies have provided enhanced security to deal with any potential vulnerabilities. Therefore, every day that your system is not updated is a day you’re at greater risk of a hacker gaining access to your computer.

Video conference securely – Video conferencing is something you are probably doing more and more of now that you are working from home. Because of this, you need to make sure that there is no sensitive information in the view of the camera while you are having a video chat with anyone.

Secure your home router – Did you change your router password when you first had it installed? If you did not, your home network is vulnerable. It is vital to take simple steps so that your home network is protected, and malicious parties are prevented from gaining access to any devices that are connected. A good first step to take here is to change your router password. Nevertheless, there are some other steps you can take too. This includes encryption being set to WPA3 or WPA2. you should also make sure you install firmware updates so that you patch any security vulnerabilities.

Encrypt your data – You need to make sure that all your data is encrypted. This means that your data is turned into unreadable code. Therefore, if someone unauthorized was to gain access to your network, they would not be able to read your files.

Set up firewalls – In addition to the advice that has been provided so far, we would recommend setting up firewalls. Firewalls are important because they act as a line of defense, preventing threats from getting into your system. They essentially create a device between the Internet and your device through closing communication ports. This can help to stop malicious programs from getting into your system, as well as preventing data leaking from your device.

Switch on two-factor authentication – You are also advised to turn on two-factor authentication. This means that your password is not going to be enough to get into your account. Instead, there will be two layers of security. In most cases, you are going to need to enter a code that is then sent to your mobile phone, in order to complete the process.

Install an anti-virus application – It is also important to make sure that you have a good anti-virus application installed. A lot of Mac users do not believe that they require this, as Apple computers are known to have in-built security. While Apple products do come with enhanced security features, this does not mean that they are bulletproof and so it is still advisable to make sure you invest in an anti-virus program.

Use a VPN to secure your privacy – It is a good idea to install a VPN so that you can encrypt your data and hide your IP address. This will give you greater security when working from home.

Back up your data – Anyone who has lost their work before will know just how devastating it can be. There are a number of different ways that data can be lost. This includes cyberattacks, physical damage to hardware, and human error. Entire systems can be wiped if malware, such as ransomware, gets into your system. This is why it is important to make sure you back up your data every time you use your computer.

Use your work device if possible – If you are able to use your work device, you should, and don’t make any exceptions. Your personal computer will introduce a number of potential vulnerabilities, as you’re likely to have more non-essential applications on it.

Choose unique and strong passwords – Do you use the same password across all of your accounts? If so, it is time to change this. Using the same password is going to mean that once someone has access to one of your accounts, they are going to have access to them all. This is why it is pivotal to make sure you use different passwords across all of your accounts. You also need to make sure that you choose passwords that are a mix of lowercase, uppercase, special characters, and numbers. Avoid choosing passwords that are easy to guess.