Cybersecurity Matters

A recent Waveform survey revealed that 57.7 percent of the US workforce recently started working from home due to the coronavirus crisis. 

For those of us with special needs children at home, telecommuting poses its own unique set of challenges, many of which can be overcome with a little forward planning and organization. 

But while we’re busily concentrating on keeping our kids happy and engaged and being the best employee possible at this trying time, it’s all too easy to let cybersecurity slide. Because the switch to remote work was so sudden, plenty of companies and employees barely had time to get their digital security ducks in order. 

Thankfully, there are several quick and easy steps you can take to batten down the virtual hatches. 

• Make sure you’re aware of the myriad corona-inspired scams and malware making the rounds. Beware of emails that appear to be from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other leading organizations. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are capitalizing on the crisis and increasing their output.
• Check what kind of cybersecurity measures your company is covering. Before you purchase your own top-line antivirus and malware software, find out if your employer is providing this. Many companies are offering company-wide subscriptions to keep their data safe, even on personal devices.
• Use a VPN for secure connections. VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, effectively protect data transmissions by encrypting the data. Again, your company may provide VPN protection so ask first. Beware of free VPNs as these may compromise data more than they protect it.
• Allow automatic software updates, particularly on work-related programs. Software updates patch any errors or potential access points found, so it’s important to keep all programs up to date. Check you have automatic updates enabled.
• Follow any cybersecurity guidelines your company provides. 

While you probably feel like you have enough on your plate (justifiably!) taking a small amount of time to properly secure your telecommute systems can make a world of difference to your work and your company.


*this is a collaborative post