Don’t Get Scammed: 5 Security Tips for Work-From-Home Professionals
Until we find a cure for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the best way to contain its spread is social distancing. Therefore, many organizations are encouraging—or instructing—their employees to work from home.
But while working from home will reduce your chances of contracting (or spreading) coronavirus, it will expose you to new risks. Your company network usually has plenty of safeguards that provide a measure of protection against hackers and scammers. When you’re at home, you’re less protected against these threats. And malicious actors are taking advantage of the chaos and confusion surrounding COVID-19 to prey on remote workers.
The first thing you should know is that you’ve just become a more valuable target. Hackers now have a bigger incentive to go after those working at home, because if successful, they’ll have access to valuable company data and resources.
Here are some tips to make sure you maintain your cybersecurity hygiene during the coronavirus lockdown.
Be Wary of Phishing Scams
The past few weeks have seen a spike in phishing scams. Hackers are capitalizing on the coronavirus pandemic to send emails that trick users into clicking on malicious links, downloading malware-infected files, or revealing important personal data to the attackers.
Some of these phishing scams are targeting people working or studying from home. The senders pose as university personnel offering updates about closures or IT staff following up on technical issues. They might ask you to install an app on your computer or provide your account credentials to carry out some technical procedure.
Be extremely cautious when checking your work email. If a message contains a call to action, use another means to verify the claim—the phone or an alternate email address. You can also contact colleagues and see whether they’ve received similar emails or directly get in touch with your company’s IT department and ask if it has sent such an email.
Hover over links and check their destination address. If you’re not 100 percent sure of the address they point to, don’t click on them.
The past few weeks have also seen a surge in malware targeted at remote workers. Most of these have keylogger components: software that secretly registers key presses and sends them to the control servers of the hackers. Attackers then search this data to find username and password combinations. The malware is usually delivered as part of a phishing campaign or through applications that look legitimate. It urges users to download and open attachments.
We’ve already warned you not to open attachments from senders you don’t know directly. But in case you fall for the ruse, your next line of defense is an endpoint security tool. Make sure you have a reliable antivirus solution installed that provides virus, phishing, and web protection, and always keep it updated.
Increase Your Accounts’ Security
The most valuable thing hackers will be after are your business and financial accounts. Taking over these accounts lets them steal company data, siphon money from your bank account, or use your account to impersonate you and stage attacks against coworkers.
To prevent this from happening, first make sure you are using strong passwords. More important, make sure to enable two-factor authentication (2FA), a feature that most online services support. It requires users to provide an extra token of ownership (say, a one-time password, physical key, or fingerprint) when logging in.
2FA might be a bit annoying, but it protects you in case you fall victim to a phishing scam and mistakenly give your login credentials to the wrong person, or if you accidentally install a malware-infected program on your computer. Even if hackers steal your password, they won’t be able to hijack your work account.
Isolate Work From Your Personal Life
Just as isolation in the physical world is helping prevent the spread of coronavirus, a similar practice can minimize security risks in your remote work environment. As we mentioned in a previous article, a dedicated office space and phone number for work can prevent mishaps.
If you have more than one laptop or workstation, dedicate one of them to work. Don’t use it for personal communications and web browsing. If you don’t have an extra device, check whether your company can provide one or provide you with virtual desktops to log into for work. This makes sure that potential infections don’t spill from your personal life into your professional life or vice versa.
Also, consider using a virtual private network (VPN) on the device you use for work. VPNs shield your network traffic by encrypting it. This prevents potentially insecure devices on your home network from being used to spy on your work activity. If your organization has its own corporate VPN, you will probably be required to use it to access your company’s servers and applications. If not, here are a few viable options.
Encourage Good Cybersecurity Habits in Coworkers
At the end of the day, the fight against cybersecurity threats when working remotely is much like the fight against COVID-19: It’s a team effort. Just as a careless person can infect others with coronavirus, a single compromised remote device can jeopardize the entire organization. Share this post with your colleagues, and encourage them to adopt these basic practices to make sure you all stay safe from hackers while the coronavirus lockdown remains.
