(Newswire.net — July 13, 2020) — Working remotely has a lot of benefits since you are not limited nor confined to an office space. You can drastically save on commuting costs, time, and energy.
But to work efficiently, you need to know how to protect yourself and your online activity from hackers, phishers, and viruses while working remotely.
1. Use a VPN
If you work remotely, a VPN is best suited to shield your personal and company data from suspicious elements online. A virtual private network or VPN for short is a program that grants users anonymity by keeping their online activity safe and secure. It decrypts any activity carried out over the internet and protects your browsing data, passwords, and information away from hackers.
There are a lot of VPN companies that offer exclusive packages at a premium subscription rate. Besides encrypting your data, a VPN can alter your computer’s IP address, granting you the privilege of virtually pinging to the desired location. In essence, you can connect to European servers while you live in Chicago. Depending on your needs, it is harder for unwanted individuals to trace your data pockets and prevent remote hacking.
2. Use an Anti-Virus
Anti-virus is essential for detecting and removing viruses from your computer. Trojans and malware are notorious viruses capable of tampering your data and are commonly used by hackers to access your information and computer. This can be a setback to your office work, especially when a Trojan has infected your essential office work. In severe cases, you would have to refresh your computer, which ends up clearing all data, including your projects and documents.
Protect your computer with a secure anti-virus system to detect threats before they affect your device. Furthermore, some companies offer internet security programs to protect your system against computer worms, spam, spyware, malware, and phishing websites. They securely establish your online links with a website to protect your activity as you work remotely.
3. Don’t Open Scam Emails
Emails are a common way of communicating with your colleagues and sharing vital office documents confidentially. As you work remotely, you would want to avoid opening any suspicious-looking messages as they are potentially phishing emails.
These types of emails are utilized by hackers to extract vital information, such as credit card numbers, passwords, login detail, and access to your computer plus data. They look and sound like genuine emails, but these phishing emails often have a few things out of place. It could be a mistitled company logo or incorrect grammar. Avoid filling out any data or responding to these emails instead report them as spam.
4. Keep Your Passwords Secret
Working remotely means you can freely work from anywhere you desire. Be it a local cafe, restaurant, or by the park.
However, with this kind of freedom, you are easily susceptible to shoulder surfing, a concept where people around you spy and retrieve sensitive data. To prevent unknowns from obtaining your credentials, keep your passwords private by covering your screen or avoid typing sensitive data in crowded places.
5. Beware of Public Wi-Fi
As convenient as public Wi-Fi sounds, you should steer clear from connecting to these hotspots no matter how tempting they sound. Public Wi-Fi hotspots are densely populated, and among these activities, fraudsters and hackers take the opportunity to access computers easily.
This is because these networks are not securely protected, making them easy to penetrate and hack. With a VPN, your chances of being hacked may diminish; however, it is much more secure to avoid the network and opt for a secure private network from your hotel or personal home Wi-Fi.
In Summary
Remember to keep your information safe, and frequently scan your computer to prevent giving hackers a means of bypassing your system. Following these tips can assure you that you are well secured online when carrying out your work remotely.