More and more companies are considering sending their employees to the home office to protect them from the rapidly spreading corona virus. To make sure you don’t catch any digital viruses or other dangers there, here are a few tips for working safely outside the office.
There are still many unanswered questions about COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. But all experts agree on one thing: the virus is very contagious and the disease spreads quickly. Many companies are therefore considering sending their employees to work from home to avoid contagion. Some have already done so. But how do you actually work safely when you leave the office desk behind? We have put together a few tips:
- Leave sensitive data in the office if possible.
Sure, you need access to information to work, but keep in mind that it may be easier for cybercriminals to get to your computer on the underground, in a parked car or on the patio at home than in the closet at the office. Therefore, store as little data as possible on the laptop’s internal memory and access the company cloud when you need data. - Secure internet access
How secure is your internet access at home? Do you perhaps even work via a public hotspot? If your internet connection is not protected, hackers can use a so-called man-in-the-middle attack to sneak between you and the server you actually want to exchange data with. If you then send your data unencrypted, the hackers can read everything you do, including sensitive company data and passwords. Therefore, avoid public wifi connections. If you can’t avoid it, you should definitely activate your VPN (if you have one) or use your mobile phone’s data connection instead of wifi. - Privacy protection
If you feel like working in public despite the risk of infection, use a privacy film for your monitor. The plastic film is quick and easy to put on, and the person sitting next to you will only see black on your screen from the side, while you can continue to work in peace and with a clear view. And of course you should also be careful with your mobile phone, even if you are just checking your business e-mails in the underground - No out-of-office messages
If the corona virus does catch you, do without an out-of-office message if possible. This also reduces the risk of someone taking advantage of your absence to break into your office, for example, or to use the unusual situation for a CEO fraud attempt, for example.
With this in mind, stay safe and sound!