However big your business is, if you’re reliant on it for your income, you need to make sure that you give it the protection it deserves.
If you’re using digital technology, such as a Mac, PC, or laptop, your safety should be paramount.
Here, we’re going to look at why protecting your business is so vital, as well as some of the important safety tips for working from home.
Important Safety tips for working from home
Of course, how you invest in your business is up to you, but you should at least consider the options below.
Keep your tools updated
In most cases, breaches tend to happen because there is a weakness opened up in your system. This weakness can come from accidentally giving the password to someone that shouldn’t have it. It can just as easily come from software that hasn’t been updated to include the latest security protections.
Professional software usually includes security features to make sure that they aren’t a risk for the system, but if you’re updating this software, then it’s not going to have the security fixes and patches that help it keep up with the latest series of threats.
As such, you should always make sure to keep your software and operating system as up-to-date as you can.
Choose a secure host and platform for your site
There are a lot of different things that go into securing your site, but you can make sure that you’re protected right off the bat by ensuring that you’re hosting your site in a way that offers it some additional security.
Whether it’s the eCommerce platform that you’re using or the actual host of the website, you can take a closer look at what security options they offer.
For instance, you want to use a platform that makes use of log-in security features like two-step verification so that people can’t easily steal your login details and get into the back end of your site, where they could sabotage it or steal data.
Be mindful of malware
It’s one of the most ubiquitous threats on all of the internet.
Malware, which includes things like spyware, viruses, and ransomware, can have a wide range of effects, small and large, on your business.
They can log and transmit your data to an unauthorized receiver, they can lock off your ability to access files and programs, and they can even break your device by altering some of the core files on the system.
You have to ensure that you’re making use of premium antivirus protection.
Malware is always updating as the creators release new versions of their old tools on the market all the time and, as such, you need to invest in protection that is also continuously updating. This is one of the most important safety tips for working from home.
Scan, scan, and scan again
When you have that antivirus protection, make sure that you’re running routine scans to check that all of your files are safe, haven’t been compromised, or haven’t allowed any malware to get onto your hardware.
Aside from malware scans, you should look at making use of vulnerability scanning tools that can look over your whole network, able to find where any potential risks lie so that you can fix them.
Whether you need to update or replace software, install firewalls, or do anything else, you should do what you can to address any gaps that open up in your security.
Continuous monitoring of your websites, software, hardware, and other systems is critical, especially as your business starts to grow.
Be mindful of scams
It’s not always the case that criminals make use of brute force methods to breach your systems. Sometimes, it’s just as likely that they will use you or a member of your team to give them the access that they need. This is most commonly done through phishing scams.
Phishing occurs when a scammer sends an email or a message that looks like a legitimate communication from, for instance, the provider of software that you use.
These scammers will encourage you to share login details with them or, in some cases, might have an attachment or linked website that actually contains malware or some other kind of tool that they can use to gain access to your system.
You have to make sure that you’re able to verify the sender of any message before you interact with it.
Don’t leave your device unattended
You might think that it’s safe to leave your device logged in at your desk, at a cafe, or at a co-working space, because you have a good idea that it will be safe there.
However, even if it wasn’t at risk of being stolen (which is always a risk if you’re working in shared spaces), you shouldn’t underestimate how quickly the wrong person can do damage, such as downloading malware onto your device or taking sensitive data from it.
Do not, under any circumstances, leave your device logged into accounts that have access to sensitive data if there is any chance, at all, that someone could access it, even for a few moments.
Watch out for public connections
A lot of people who run a small business might not always be working from their own homes. You might have a cafe where you like to work from now and then. If that is the case, then you have to be aware of the risks that come with it.
Public networks, and even publicly available private networks (like a cafe network that has a password that’s given to everyone that comes inside it) could leave your connection open for anyone on that network to peer at.
Hackers can look at and steal that data being transmitted. A virtual private network can help by encrypting every piece of data that is sent to and from your system through the network.
Conclusion
Threats lurk everywhere in cybersecurity and there are criminals who will target smaller businesses that they might think aren’t as ready to deal with the risk that they pose.
Make sure that you don’t make yourself an easy target when working from home by using the safety tips above.
Working from home is fun, but always remember to stay safe and protect your privacy.
