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Enhancing your Cybersecurity as a Remote Worker

Joe Ford

Since the increased adoption of the internet in recent years, remote working has been on the rise. On job-seeking platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed, you’ll see job positions specifying remote workers. Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork are also rising, allowing freelancers to connect to potential clients.

Nevertheless, utilizing the internet at such a high level can expose you to internet threats. Whether you’re actively working, playing games like blackjack online, or using your home device to check the latest financial news, hackers can always get to you.

Working in a standard office environment comes with its associated internet security. For one, there’s the work done by the IT support staff to protect systems and the office network by purchasing expensive cybersecurity tools. Remote work devices don’t come with as much security protection. That’s why you need to be cybersecurity conscious.

Boosting the Cybersecurity of your Home Devices

  • Utilize Robust Passwords

Although this seems like a simple cybersecurity tip, many tend to skip it when signing up for accounts. You need to use strong passwords that are unrelated to you, unlike birthdates or best friends’ names, across your accounts. The password needs to include upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.

You also need to avoid using the same password across several accounts. This way, if a hacker accesses one account, other accounts will remain secure. You can also utilize two-factor authentication across all your online accounts.

  • Utilize Device Encryption

Utilizing device encryption aids in protecting your data since third parties wouldn’t be able to access it. Device encryption works best when your computer is physically compromised. For instance, if you’ve enabled BitLocker on Windows or FileVault on Mac, it’d be more difficult for cyber-attackers to gain access to sensitive data and blackmail you.

  • Utilize a VPN

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is a stellar security tool for encrypting your online traffic. VPNs come in handy when using public Wi-Fi or any other network that could potentially be compromised.

Hackers that frequently use these public Wi-Fi network areas would not be able to gain access to your internet traffic. VPNs also prevent your internet service provider from tracking your online activity.

  • Make Regular Updates

Lots of computer users consider software update pop-ups annoying. However, many don’t realize that these updates are designed to protect your PC from hackers.

Hackers are constantly probing software codes to see if they can exploit a security loophole to infect users. The software development team is always trying to counter their actions by working day and night to find those vulnerabilities before the cyber criminals do.

Hence, updating your software as soon as the updates show up reduces your chances of your security getting breached. You can try to activate the installation of automatic updates on your system.

Final Thoughts

Online cybersecurity is especially crucial for remote workers since internet threats have increased in response to the adoption of the internet. You can utilize a VPN, implement device encryption, and robust passwords to boost your security.