For better or worse, the pandemic made a difference in our lives. And nowadays everything differs from how it was one year ago. Although many organizations have resumed their normal operations, a significant number of employees continue to work remotely.
To help your company create a security checklist, we've compiled a list of our top remote working security advice on how to maintain security while working remotely.
📌 Be wary of phishing attempts
One of the greatest threats to organizations today comes from phishing attacks. Phishing is a cyber attack that gathers sensitive information like login credentials, bank account numbers, or other financial information by masquerading as a legitimate email. That’s why it is important to know how to spot and handle them. Remember to be suspicious of emails from people you don’t know, especially if these people ask to click on a link or open a file. Even if emails are from familiar people, but asking for unusual things, they should be suspected. You can double-check it by phone call, for instance.
📌 Use strong passwords
It's more crucial than ever to make sure that all of your accounts are protected with strong passwords. A strong password consists of length (minimum of 8 characters) and character sets. The password should contain at least upper and lowercase letters, as well as a number. Use different passwords for different accounts. Unfortunately, lots of people still use the same password across multiple accounts. This means that a cyber thief only needs one compromised password to have access to all of your accounts. Also, take into consideration that “Remember password” functions should always be turned off when you log into company information systems and applications from your personal devices.
📌 Implement 2FA (two-factor authentication)
As we said above, strong passwords should be required, and adding an extra layer of security in the form of two-factor authentication is highly recommended. 2FA is a security system that requires two distinct ways of identification to access the account. The first step is your password. And the second step could be a confirmation email or text message. For instance, when logging in to HIPAA Force, after providing your username and password, you will be asked for a two-factor authentication code that is delivered to your email. The verification code is available for some time and then it expires. Thanks to the 2FA, if somebody discovers your password, they won’t be able to log in as you.
📌 Enable automatic locking
Even if you're just drinking a cup of tea or taking a restroom break, someone can see your work correspondence. Therefore, if you walk away from your PC at your home office, coworking space or etc, you should lock it. But the issue is as humans, we can forget. That’s why automatic locking is there to protect your data. Make sure to configure an amount of time that while convenient is not unreasonably long. For example, it could be five minutes for laptops and 30 seconds for mobile devices. By the way, automatic locking is enabled by default on most modern devices.
📌 Update software on time
Installing software updates and patches as soon as they become available is one of the most crucial aspects of data security. New vulnerabilities in applications and operating systems are discovered on a regular basis. That’s why updates and patches are specifically released to address them in the software’s security. When you fail to install them, you leave your system vulnerable to threat. So it’s important to regularly update everything installed on any device that you use for work purposes.
Meantime, HIPAA Force never requires any updates from you - we always release fixes and new useful options on our end. Be sure these won’t impact the way your account functions - the purpose of the updates we make is to enhance your HIPAA Force user experience so you could enjoy the full variety of features we provide.
As remote work becomes more common, it is essential for all companies to put in place the appropriate infrastructure, as well as suitable security guidelines, plans, and policies, to reduce their exposure to cybersecurity risks. We hope that the list above gives you some ideas of the areas of security you should think about when working remotely. And we, in turn, will do our best to securely protect your data no matter where you are.
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