How to Work Safely From Home During the Quarantine | Endpoint Security Software

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, public health experts are calling on everyone who can work from home. As our offices are emptied and we go into home quarantine, we don't have to sacrifice security for personal safety. You can stay safe and connected while you wait for the coronavirus crisis at home.

Here's everything you need to keep your home secure and track down any scammers that might target people working remotely from their home quarantines:

1. Keep Your Home Network Safe

If you work from home (and you should!), Your home network should protect both your personal and professional life. Make sure it's up to the task.

The minimum will be to protect your router with a password if you haven't already. Next, try these additional steps:

Disable broadcast SSID. This will make it difficult to find your home Wi-Fi network (for those who don't need one)

Filter MAC addresses. A MAC address is a network name assigned to a specific device. If your router supports MAC address filtering, it will be much more difficult for any unauthorized device to even try to connect to your router.

Set up a guest network. The Guest Network is the second network you can create on your router for visitor devices. Depending on your router, you can apply different security rules for two different networks. In this case, protect your home and work devices with the strictest security guidelines and leave a friendly ruleset for guest devices.

Install a VPN on your router. If you've set up adequate Wi-Fi encryption on your router, you can set up a VPN on your router. This has unique advantages and disadvantages.

2. Use a Separate Device or Account to Work

It's better to keep your personal and professional devices and accounts separate. This way, if one account or device is compromised, the other remains safe.

If you are working on a computer, chances are you can do it on a laptop. This will be your best bet as it will already contain all the security tools your company could provide.

You can also use a separate user account on your home device. However, make sure you have all the applications you need to work safely. If you rarely log into this account, it is imperative that you update all your software before getting started. Older versions may be incompatible with your colleagues' software, and important security updates may be missing.

3. Use Corporate Cybersecurity Tools

There are many different tools that can help protect employees when they work from home. One of the simplest and most powerful Protegent360 endpoint security software for Individuals. 

Many other solutions are also available. Personal tools - from secure browsers and browser extensions to secure messaging apps - help you and everyone else stay safe. Before leaving your office to set up a convenient home quarantine, ask your system administrator if there is anything you should install first.

4. Encryption of Confidential Files in Transit and in Storage.

Your company's central servers and networks may be secure (hopefully), but when all employees work from home, anything can happen.

Luckily, there are tools out there that allow you to encrypt sensitive files both at rest and while they are being sent. Regardless of where you work from or where you send your files, they will be safe if you encrypt them. By linking your account with your colleagues, you can ensure end-to-end encryption of your most important files.

5. Stay on Top of Cybersecurity and Social Engineering

Hackers and crooks know that many companies will send their workers home, so they will try to exploit the situation in any way they can. Conversations that you once could have face-to-face with colleagues will now take place online, making them easier to use.

Read about the different forms of social engineering and phishing so you know what to look out for. Now more than ever, scammers will try to impersonate your colleagues or managers in order to force you to abandon confidential company information. You will find plenty of advice in the links above, but here are some basics:

Double-check the sender. Was the instant message you just got from your boss sent by John.Doe or John_Doe? Which one is right?

Do not download or click on anything until you are sure the sender is legitimate. Even so, you might want to check with your colleague before doing anything particularly delicate, like sending a large money order.

Maintain redundant communication channels. If you are not sure if your colleague's account is spelled correctly, call them and check again. If you're going to download or click something in your colleague's email, consider sending them messages first. This will make it harder for false messages to hit the target.

6. Avoid Public Wi-Fi

The best reason to avoid public Wi-Fi right now is that you should avoid public places and travel, period! However, if you must exit, you must take all precautions - both for your health and for your cybersecurity.

Public Wi-Fi is always dangerous, as it is much less secure than private Wi-Fi and is much more likely to be connected to (or manipulated by attackers, as is the case with the evil dual hotspot). Wi-Fi isn't the only danger in public places. Here are just a few of the other threats you may face when working in public:

USB chargers. Usually, a USB charger is just a charger. However, sometimes public chargers can be equipped or jailbroken with hardware or software that can install malware on your device or track your communication. Stick to those you trust at home.

Screen spies. If you usually work in an office, you can openly discuss sensitive or confidential topics. By working in public, you can pass this information on to someone looking over your shoulder. You will eliminate this risk by working from home alone or with people you trust.

Don't forget, however, that your physical health is of utmost importance! Public health experts say staying away from public places will keep you healthy, and we think that will keep you safe as well.