It was something that was unheard of several years ago, but slowly the world is changing culture and remote working is becoming a big deal. In fact, some countries believe that it’s just a matter of time before the majority of the workers are actually employed in this manner.

It would be fair to say that this movement has been welcomed by the majority, who can now work with much more flexibility. At the same time, there are drawbacks, and cyber security is one of these.

In short, those remote workers who are based away from the standard office are open to a lot more risks. It might be because their systems at home are much less advanced than official business ones, or it can be because they are on the move more and therefore open to a lot more risks.

Bearing this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the ways you can protect yourself as a remote worker and ultimately keep your data much safer.

How to Stay Safe from Security Attacks As a Remote Worker

Public Wi-Fi: a risky business

• 

Over the last few years we’ve seen much more emphasis on maximum security antivirus software, which really is pushed onto a lot of users. It should go without saying that the emphasis on this is absolutely correct as well.

One of the big reasons for this push is the threat of public Wi-Fi. This tends to be the best friend of a remote worker, but at the same time it can be a powerful enemy. Some public Wi-Fi hotspots are not configured properly, and this makes them vulnerable for some people to launch malicious attacks. Data can be intercepted whilst in some cases, software can be discreetly installed on your device.

As such, try and keep public Wi-Fi use to a low, or at least only use trusted sources.

The importance of email encryption

• 

Email encryption is something which has been doing the rounds for a while now, but for remote workers it’s even more important. It’s something that can add an extra layer of protection into every email that enters your inbox, and leaves your sent items, and ultimately makes them un-readable to anyone who shouldn’t be seeing them.

This can be related to the previous point, where internet connections can be hijacked and emails and other sensitive information can be read. Ultimately, if you have such an encryption service installed, things suddenly become a lot more secure.

The threat of removable drives

• 

In the age of cloud computing, this might not be as much as an issue as it once was. However, for remote workers who might routinely visit conferences and clients, removable disk drives can be still a common tool. In relation to conferences, many actually hand out free devices – and this is where potential problems can creep in.

Some of these devices have hidden programs installed, which are obviously not going to do any good to your data or your device. It’s worth mentioning that conferences, and others handing these out, often aren’t aware of this. However, before you plug the drive in, just ask yourself whether you really think it’s a safe course of action.

If you follow some of the safety and security measures, you should be certain of protecting your data as a remote worker.