Online Office Safety: 11 Work At Home Security Tips - Infinity Dish

Category: Home Office Setup

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Online Office Safety: 11 Work At Home Security Tips - Infinity Dish

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For the past few decades, as the digital revolution expands, more and more people are working from home than ever before.

However, as we know, the year 2020 has prompted rapid growth in the number of people working from home as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions to abandon their offices and turn their dining rooms or spare bedrooms into workspaces.

Yet even as some businesses start to open back up, including offices, many companies are electing to allow their workers to continue working from home at least through the rest of the year.

But working from home comes with some risks, as your home network tends to be less well protected against cyber criminals than a corporate one.

If you’re working from home, identity theft becomes even more of a concern because if your identity is stolen, cybercriminals may be able to gain access to your company’s servers, compromising its data and potentially costing a lot of money.

Online Office Safety: 11 Work At Home Security Tips - Infinity Dish

For the past few decades, as the digital revolution expands, more and more people are working from home than ever before. In fact, the percentage of American workers who did their jobs from home has been growing steadily since 2000, reaching an all-time high of 5 percent just last year. However, as we know, the year 2020 has prompted rapid growth in the number of people working from home as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions to abandon their offices and turn their dining rooms or spare bedrooms into workspaces. Yet even as some businesses start to open back up, including offices, many companies are electing to allow their workers to continue working from home at least through the rest of the year. This may still extend further even after the virus is successfully contained. Recent estimates indicate that around 20 percent of companies will make their pandemic work-from-home policies permanent, representing a significant change in how we work. For many, this is welcome news. But working from home comes with some risks, as your home network tends to be less well protected against cyber criminals than a corporate one. Implementing the right defenses is essential to keeping yourself and your company safe, and below, you can find out everything you need to make sure your home office is fully secure. Cyber Security Threats in 2020 Before going into the specific things you can be doing to maximize your home office’s security, we wanted to discuss the various threats that are out there so that you can better understand why these measures are necessary and what they do. There are many different dangers out there, but the most prevalent include: Hacking and Data Theft Hacking just means that someone who does not have the authorization to access a system manages to get into it, which almost always leads to data theft. Hackers want things such as credit card numbers, bank information, login details, social security numbers, and anything else valuable they can get their hands on and then sell for a profit. The typical line of thinking is that hackers tend to go after larger companies as that’s where the useful data is (and also because they can get more information with one hack, increasing their efficiency). But these large companies also tend to have the strongest defenses, making them the most difficult to hack. As a result, small businesses are increasingly becoming the preferred target for hackers and other cybercriminals, mainly because their defenses tend to be weaker, yet they still hold valuable data. In fact, around 43 percent of all cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses. The logic is that it takes the same amount of effort to hack several small companies, and produces more results than trying and hack into a big company. If you thought you were safe because you work for a small company, “no one would bother to hack,” know that this is no longer the case, and you need to be taking cybersecurity as seriously as everyone else. Identity Theft Identity theft occurs when a cybercriminal assumes your identity and then does things on your behalf. In a worst-case scenario, they get a hold of your social security number and other personal details. They then use this information to withdraw money from your accounts, make charges to your credit and debit cards, and even open up new credit lines that could get you into real trouble with creditors. If you’re working from home, identity theft becomes even more of a concern because if your identity is stolen, cybercriminals may be able to gain access to your company’s servers, compromising its data and potentially costing a lot of money. Viruses, Malware, Ransomware, and Worms While all slightly different, these are all programs that make their way onto your computer, usually because you click a bad link or open a dangerous spam email. They do various things to your computer. For example, ransomware will literally hold your device “hostage,” shutting it down until you either hand over sensitive data or give money. Malware is more common and can often go undetected. It slows down your computer, and at best is a nuisance that can get in the way of your productivity. At worst, it can take personal information off your device and send it to people who will use it to steal from either you or your company. Cyberbullying Not typically thought of as a cyber threat, cyberbullying is quite prevalent in our society, and, contrary to popular belief, it’s not just something that kids do. A study by Pew found that around 40 percent of adults have experienced some sort of online harassment, and 75 percent of adults have reported seeing it taking place around them. If you’re new to working online, it’s essential to be aware of how you’re interacting with others. Comments or jokes that might have gone unnoticed, or were better contextualized, when spoken in the office, can seem aggressive or harmful when typed out in a message. Being aware of this is vital to protect yourself (cyberbullying is a crime, and even if you’re not convicted in a court of law, it can lead to termination) and those you work with. Both are important aspects of keeping your company moving forward. The Reality of the Threats We Face Now that you have an idea of the threats that are out there, here are some numbers that should help drive home just how serious this issue is and why it requires so much of your attention.