Working from home , either totally or partially, is something that has become very widespread in recent years. Like everything, it has its advantages and disadvantages. An important factor must be taken into account, which is computer security. That is why in this article we are going to show you 5 cybersecurity risks if you work remotely. This way you can take action and be protected at all times and not put important information at risk.
5 cybersecurity risks of remote work
One of the most important factors to take care of when working from home is computer security . If we make certain mistakes we may expose personal or company data. The truth is that there are some risks that must be taken into account and prevent them from affecting us.
Using unprotected computers
The first risk is that we could be using unprotected devices . What does this mean? In the company, the computers can have greater protection, they are updated and there are people in charge of their maintenance. On the other hand, the computer that we use at home to work may not have these measurements.
That could result in an attacker being able to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities, for example. They could strain viruses more easily. To avoid this, the ideal is to always have good security programs and have everything updated to correct any problem that may appear.
Insecure networks
We must also take into account the risk of the networks where we connect. We may work from home or maybe occasionally go to a library, coffee shop, or any public Wi-Fi . In all these cases there may be a higher risk compared to working from an office.
Wi-Fi networks can sometimes leak data and allow us to be spied on without our realizing it. It is essential to always use wireless networks that are protected and in case of using a public Wi-Fi, it is best to have a VPN. What this type of program does is encrypt the connection and make everything we send go through a kind of tunnel.
Mix personal and work information
Another security risk in remote work is mixing personal and work data . When using a home computer, for example, we are going to have personal information such as documents or anything. The same thing happens with work data and all of this can end up being mixed up and also become a cybersecurity problem.
The best thing to prevent this from happening is to always separate the personal from the work. If you are going to use the same computer, you can always partition the hard drive and have everything related to work on one side and your personal life on the other.
Use programs that can be dangerous
The fact of working remotely may force us to use certain programs to be in contact with the company. For example, applications to remotely access a computer, programs to start video calls, etc. The problem is that we don’t always use really secure software and that can lead to hackers.
What should we do? It is essential to use official applications and that they are updated. Only in this way will we be able to avoid very varied cyberattacks that could put our network security at risk.
Higher risk of Phishing
Precisely the fact of working remotely can pose a greater risk of Phishing . A clear example is that we receive an email from the company, from a colleague or our boss, but it is really false. Since we are not physically there, we may think that it is a real email and open a fake link.
That can lead to compromising company data, for example. It is essential to know how to analyze links and not fall into the trap, especially when we are managing information that may be sensitive.