Online technology has radically altered how we live and work. This can be seen in our personal lives where playing classic casino games over the internet at PA online gambling sites is possible. Of course, online tech has also become central to business and plays an essential role in how organizations across all sectors operate.
As a business owner, you will know that popular examples of digital technology such as Cloud computing, video calls and email are indispensable to how you work in the modern age. This has, in turn, seen remote working really take off in recent years. Many business owners and their staff love the balance that remote working gives to their life and the flexibility it offers. This way of working is even more relevant at present with many people having to work from home online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One thing you must make sure of when working remotely online though is that your business is kept safe. It is estimated that cybercrime costs the global economy $2.9m per minute, which is a staggering amount. But how can you go about beating cybercrime effectively?
Keep Your Virus Protection And Operating System Up To Date
One common mistake that many make when working remotely is using a device with virus protection that is no longer valid. Whether you plan to use your own laptop or one from your actual office, find out how to perform a cybersecurity audit on any device you will use. This should involve checking that any anti-virus software is still valid along with making sure features like a robust firewall are in place to keep your business safe. It is also vital to have the most up to date operating system installed on the device that you will be using. These updates can take a while, but they are vital in blocking any viruses from breaching your computer’s defenses to cause trouble.
Use A VPN
A good idea for those working remotely online is to use a virtual private network, rather than standard Wi-Fi in the home. VPNs are much harder to hack into as they encrypt business data so you can be sure the network is safe when working with it online. You can also alter your IP address with a VPN, another very handy security feature to deter hackers.
Protect Home Wi-Fi
But what if you can’t afford to sign-up for a VPN, or would rather not? While still not as secure as a virtual private network, you could still take steps to make working on your home Wi-Fi network a bit more secure. This really is worth doing as hackers could still gain access to business data from unprotected Wi-Fi networks, even if your computer security is up to date. The major thing is to change the settings on your home network so that anyone connecting to it must have a password to do so successfully.
Make Sure You Have Strong Passwords
This is something that IT professionals have been banging on about for many years now, but it is really important for remote working online. To keep your business and its sensitive data safe, you must have strong passwords for your computer and also any software you use. The most obvious example is your email password, but any account you will use online for work should have a robust password. This will make it much harder for people to hack into your accounts online to steal data or to take money from your business banking account. A good rule of thumb is to never re-use passwords, and to always include special characters to make it tougher to crack.
Educate Your Staff
We have looked at a few things you could do personally when working remotely online to protect your business. It is also worth thinking about how any staff you employ can do the same. This is especially true at the moment with more people than ever working remotely due to Covid-19. Ensure staff are taught the basics about not opening suspicious mails, not clicking on dodgy links and not giving out confidential data unless they are 100% sure the request is legitimate. Doing this will help keep your business secure when remote working is going on.
Remote Working Online Is Fine When Done Safely
As we have already noted, working remotely online has a range of benefits and is something most of us are having to do right now. This means it really is essential to get all you can from it safely by being aware of what steps you can take to deter hackers. This will not only help you work with greater peace of mind but also stop any would-be criminals gaining access to your networks and data.
