COVID-19 forced many of us to work from home. Even though businesses have started to open up and people are returning to work, flexible working arrangements mean that many of us are still able to work from home. While there are many benefits of working out of your own space, doing so also opens you up to cybercrimes that threaten your information and business data.
At CAV Insurance Agency, we are always looking for ways in which to help our clients. For valuable tips to help protect your work when operating out of your home, read on.
Cyber Security Tips When Working Remotely
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- Only connect to the internet through a secure network. When accessing confidential information from your employer, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your activity. Avoid opening documents or accessing accounts when on public Wi-Fi as you don’t know how safe or secure the connection may be. Hackers are getting smarter, and hacking public Wi-Fi is child’s play for them. If your children are accessing websites for online learning, make sure your router software is up to date and you’re using a strong password that only your family knows.
- Use strong passwords, incorporating both lower case characters, upper case characters, numbers, and special characters. Change these passwords seasonally, and avoid making them easy to guess. Avoid using a date of birth, pet name, child name, or your favorite sports team as a password.
- If you see an email from someone you know but the link looks odd or the wording doesn’t sound like them, avoid clicking on any embedded links or downloading files. Malicious information is often sent from accounts that may look like they are already in your address book.
- Keep your smart toys and homes updated by using strong passwords and changing them regularly. Change the default password and update the software regularly.
- Hackers can easily create fake websites in which the URL and homepage look similar to a site you trust. Instead of following a link in an email, type the URL by hand. Also, make sure the sites you access have HTTPS in the URL. These sites are more secure than those with just HTTP in the link.
If you are still working from home, don’t forget to prioritize cyber security to protect your own data and your business’s information. With the right insurance, you can feel rest assured that you have the protection in place if the worst happens. If you would like to speak with a Massachusetts insurance expert from CAV Insurance Agency, call us on 781-237-4107. Remember that it only takes a few minutes to get an insurance quote from CAV Insurance.