Quarantine might have put you home, but it doesn’t mean that your business should stop. Some of the businesses can be run remotely. But before jumping into remote work, make sure that you and your business data are safe online!

Be Up To Date

You should start from the ground up by taking care of all the software you use. Update your operating system, web browser, and security software. Any of it can become a backdoor to your information if it’s not set up correctly. It would be best to check your software regularly to be sure that everything is up to date. To be consistent, you can even set up check-up reminders.

Update Your Passwords

You probably have heard this many times before, but use sTr0nG! passwords with upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. This is especially important when logging into business systems remotely. Passwords that were discovered in various breaches show that 123456 is still the most popular password, with “password” and 123456789 in second and third place. It doesn’t take a genius to crack such passwords. 

The problem is that not only people are trying to guess your passwords, but computers are doing it too. They use a technique called brute-forcing: computers try every possible combination until your password is identified. The possible password combinations are endless, but computers can try thousands of guesses per second. They start guessing with words from the dictionary because they are easier to remember than random letter combinations. Therefore, to be safer, try to be as random as possible.

Double Check Accesses

If there are at least several employees in your business, you should control how much information they can attain. Not every employee needs to have access to all business information. Check people’s functions and give only the data required to do their jobs. 

In addition to that, Forbes suggests to “train on awareness and practices and keep that education up to date. Share the latest trends in attacks and fraud. Consider drills or exercises that give employees a chance to act before an actual attack happens.”

Look For Encrypted Sites

Even if your password is strong, you shouldn’t forget that not every website is secure. When browsing the internet, keep your eye on the website address: if you see https:// - you are good to go. But if there is no S at the end, be careful on that website. 

 

Arnas Stuopelis, Chairman of web hosting provider Hostinger, explains: “To be sure, that your data is safe, look for an S at the end of https://. That S stands for an SSL certificate. SSL is an acronym for Secure Sockets Layer. It makes communication between a website server and a visitor computer safer by encrypting it. So if there is no S in the address bar, don’t fill in any sensitive information on that website because it can be breached.”

 

Click Smart

Not only the night is dark and full of terrors. The internet can be that way too. Shady websites can be disguised as adds, contests, or other common content. Gary Davis warns: “Spam emails, phony “free” offers, clickbait, online quizzes, and more all use these tactics to entice you to click on dangerous links or give up your personal information. Always be wary of offers that sound too good to be true, or ask for too much information.” You should avoid such websites all the time, but be extra cautious when using a business computer.

The Same Goes For Your Phone

When taking care of your safety on the internet, don’t forget your smartphone. Phones are so powerful nowadays. You can do the same things with them that you could do on your computer. And the internet insecurities can hit you the same way. 

Nokia writes: “Smartphone users also need greater awareness of online safety, particularly given the increase in their use for activities that involve the transfer of money such as purchasing apps, music and other digital goods, shopping online for physical goods, and mobile banking. These activities attract criminals because they involve direct or indirect access to bank accounts and credit cards.”

Don’t Forget Data Back-Ups

One of the ways hackers try to cash in during attacks is by hacking your business information, blocking it, and asking for money to get it back. You can prevent this by backing up all the essential business information. If the attack happens, it still can be inconveniencing, but at least you will know that you are able to restore everything you need from your back up storage.

If you haven’t done that before, working remotely can be quite a challenge. But if you take some extra steps to get prepared, you can take care of your business from your home couch. Just be sure that all your systems are up to date. Strengthen your passwords, it’s essential in any circumstances. If you have a bigger team, check their accesses, the fewer people have access to vital information, the smaller the risk that it can be compromised. When browsing, we aware of what you visit and what you click. Look for encrypted sites, and avoid shady content. Don’t forget that your phone can also lead to your business information, so be careful with it as well. And to be extra-safe, keep doing your data back-ups regularly so that you wouldn’t lose essential information.