Safety First: Working Remotely During Coronavirus

The World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus a pandemic, as it spread in more than 100 countries around the world.

Every country is taking restricted measures to slow down and take control of the virus spreading. Following this many organizations are taking responsibility and have enabled or restricted their employees to working remotely, as working in an office requires spending many hours in closed spaces and commuting on public transportation, making people more exposed to getting infected.

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Also, at Guardio, we are applying this recommendation, starting with a "practice drill" to see how we handle working remotely. This way, we can see if there is any equipment missing for employees to do their jobs, what the best channels to have meetings are, and if there are any adjustments that need to be done.

One of our engineers highly impressive home working station.

Working from home requires some adjustment, also to maintain a good working routine, but furthermore to stay secure. Workplaces mostly have secured WiFi, VPNs, and restrictions to avoid any cyberthreats and data breaches. But when moving to an entire company to work remotely, one of the most significant issues is keeping employees and the company secure from online threats.

Coronavirus cyber threats to look for out for when working remotely:

* Coronavris phishing attempts: Some companies have created a dedicated email account for updates on company policies regarding the Coronavirus. Emails like this can contain several links leading to information on the policies or forms for the employees to fill out with information. As these emails are highly important and relevant, employees could tend to click on these links quickly without ensuring they are indeed sent from their workplace. Sadly cybercriminals are not resting during this critical time and are sending out phishing emails that can deceive employees into clicking links and giving their information. Ensuring all employees use browsing protecting like Guardio can prevent reaching phishing sites as they will be blocked out.

* Higher Risk of Data Breaches: Working remotely can make companies more exposed to data breaches, and all employees need to be extra careful from where they connect to work-related platforms. Communication on work matters could easily leak to casual platforms like phone and text but should stick encrypted messaging systems. All employees should have account monitoring for the work email so that if it gets breached, everyone will be notified immediately, and action can be taken right away.

How to ensure cybersecurity while working remotely:

Security software: All employees should install security software like Guardio, which can prevent online threats from accessing the device. Authentication: __ Enable multifactor authentication upon each login to a company portal* Work in a secure environment:__ Working from public places, such as coffee shops, means connecting to public WiFi, which could be easily hacked. Require the use of safe, password-protected home WiFi or hotspots. No matter where the employee works, remind everyone to lock all devices when taking breaks.

All employers and employees need to practice cyber hygiene just as personal hygiene. Working from home can get comfortable, but everyone must remember to be extra careful at this critical time. So always, wash your hands, and make sure that you are browsing from a clean device - inside and out.

We hope the coronavirus chaos passes quickly so that we all can get back to the office and back to our (perhaps taken for granted) daily routine.

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