Working securely from home
The recent spread of COVID-19 has forced many people to quickly adjust to working from home. With all the changes, its easy to overlook how important it is to set up a home office that is secure. Working from home can be a big security risk. You don’t have the same protections in place you would have at the office, and their are lots of scammers and hackers specifically targeting people who have just started working from home.
Here are some things to consider to help you work securely from home:
1. Use a strong password
Why do you need a strong password?
If your password becomes compromised, it grants someone access to a whole bunch of stuff that they shouldn’t have access to! The best thing you can do to make sure your working securely from home is to have a strong password.
What makes a strong password?
Here are some things to consider when setting your password:
Long password
The longer your password is, the harder it is to crack! The longer the password the better.
Different characters
Try to use a mix of different characters. Aim for upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols.
Avoid common words
Avoid using things like “password”, your name, or places. These types of passwords are very easy to hack.
How do I change my password
If you think your password has been compromised, or you think your password is too simple, then you should change your password.
2. Keep your device up to date
When you’re working on a college computer, we have systems in place to force updates on the computer. When you’re working on your own device, updating is your own responsibility!
Updates are important. Often updates are pushed out so that developers can fix security holes or breaches and keep their software and your computer secure. To keep your home office secure, make sure to always keep all of your devices up to date with the most recent software updates.
For information on updating a PC, you can click here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/12373/windows-update-faq
For information on updating a Mac, you can click here: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201222
3. Use the right tools
One of the biggest ways security breaches can happen is when people start using the wrong tools to do College work. College has provided lots of tools for you to safely and efficiently carry out work, and expects you to keep on using them even when you’re working out of the office.
Here’s a guide to the Tools you should be using when working from home:
Purpose | YES | NO |
|---|---|---|
Your college account | Any personal account | |
File Sharing | OneDrive, Teams, Sharepoint | DropBox, Google Drive, Box, etc |
Chat | Teams | Twitter, SnapChat, Facebook, Slack, Viber, WhatsApp, Kik, WeChat, Telegram, etc |
Video Calls, Group Calls | Teams | Zoom, FaceTime, etc |
4. Manage access to your computer
Working from home may mean that many people have access to your work computer. It’s important to set boundaries in place regarding who has access to your computer and the programs on it. College information and software is just for you, and you shouldn’t be sharing it with other people in your house. This includes basic things like Microsoft Office.