IBM: Here’s how to work from home safely

Smart working has never been as widespread as in this period, due to the health emergency that has pushed most companies to review their way of working and adopt an agile approach.

This has allowed numerous companies to continue working despite the crisis; on the other, it has inevitably increased the attack surface, simplifying in a certain way the life of cybercriminals who have leaped to look for new ways of attack corporate infrastructure, particularly with phishing emails.

It becomes necessary to pay more attention and take some precautions to limit the risks. Here are some tips from IBM on how to avoid risks.

IBM’s advice for those who work in smart working

1. Bring home only the devices and the information necessary. It is useless to bring home everything you use in the office. Better to limit yourself to the devices and, above all, the strictly necessary data.

2. Safeguard your home network and communicate through secure connections. If you connect through the wi-fi of your home, make sure you have activated encryption and use a strong password.

3. Keep the software updated on all devices. Update not only the software of company devices, but also personal ones, such as the router, your computers, smartphones, and tablets. A vulnerable device is enough to compromise the entire home network.

4. Turn off smart devices near the workplace and cover the webcam when not in use. Covering the computer webcam is a trivial but very effective device. Better then disable, or keep in other rooms, home assistants, such as Amazon Echo.

5. Differentiate between personal and company use of the same device. Personal devices are the most vulnerable, not usually having the same countermeasures as corporate ones. Better to avoid, as far as possible, to use them for work, to avoid the leakage of information.

6. Proactively identify all participants in online meetings. Teleconferencing and video conferencing tools are a great alternative to in-person meetings. At the same time, it is more difficult to verify whether all the participants have been invited.

It is particularly easy for unauthorized people, who have acquired the videoconferencing access data, to sneak into large online meetings with many participants. That’s why all attendees displayed in the meeting software must identify themselves briefly, especially if they are dealing with sensitive topics and sharing presentations on the screen.

7. Always disconnect from the network after using the devices. Avoid leaving your PC on and accessible without a password when you finish working or going away, even if only temporarily.

8. Be wary of suspicious emails or attachments, especially if you don’t know the sender. Attackers are unscrupulous and are shooting numerous coronavirus-themed phishing emails, which take advantage of everyone’s interest in the topic. Better to always pay close attention and be wary of unknown senders, even if they seem official mails.