Pick A Good Workspace
Pick a private space; a place where people can’t “shoulder surf”, that is, look over your shoulder at what’s on your screen. Don’t allow your spouse or kids to use your work devices. If you have to leave your device to go to the kitchen or bathroom, lock your device to prevent others from seeing what’s on your screen. Use encrypted Wi-Fi for business. Make sure your home Wi-Fi network is secured; all home routers support encryption.
Keep Your Data Secure
If your device gets stolen or if someone is trying to snoop around and get information from your device, there are things you can do to help reduce the data they can access.
You should use strong authentication to access your device, such as a PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Using multi-factor authentication to access any cloud-based resources is a good option. MFA utilizes multiple “factors” such as a PIN sent to your mobile device and a password; or a PIN and a fingerprint scan, to authenticate you. MFA makes it much harder for others to login from your device.
If you’re using simple passwords like “abc123” or “password1” it’s time to change them to more secure passwords. Length is more important than complexity. Your password should be at least 12 characters long, and not an English word or your dog’s name.
Store your data in a secure cloud location instead of a local drive or removable media. Secure cloud storage means that even if your physical device is lost or stolen, your data will still be available to you.
Whenever possible use the web version of your software, such as Word, Outlook, or Excel. Another benefit of storing your files in a secure cloud location is that when you use the web version your data stays on the server and is not downloaded to your local device.
Keep In Touch
Keep in touch with your company while you’re working remotely. If you think that your device or your data has been compromised in any way, inform your IT people immediately so they can look into the situation and take steps to prevent damage.
Resist the temptation to use unapproved tools or store data outside of company resources. If you require something you don’t have to get your work done, ask your IT department or escalate the matter through your management chain.