Extract from BIA’s article “Cybersecurity Basics for Remote Workers”
How to maintain good cybersecurity hygiene when working remotely
If you are a remote worker connecting to your organization’s information technology (IT) resources, your home effectively becomes an extension of your office, and thus, any vulnerabilities on your personal devices or network become security risks for your organization as well. Disregarding your organization’s security policies and procedures just because you are working remotely can lead to consequences just as serious as failing to follow those policies in the office. Fortunately, following some basic guidelines will dramatically reduce cybersecurity risks and help protect your personal network(s) and devices as well as those of your employer’s.
Secure your home network and devices.
There are online tools readily available to hackers that scan for and identify Wi-Fi routers using the router’s default administrative credentials. If those default credentials are not changed, that becomes an entry point for malicious activity. Check your router’s password and, if it’s using the default, change it to a complex password with at least 8 characters using numerals, upper- and lower-case letters, and special characters (such as the symbols atop the keyboard number keys).Â
