For nearly one year, many Americans have been working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As some workers start transitioning back to the office, others will continue to work from home for the foreseeable future.
Working in an office setting, we might take certain safety features for granted. As one example, you work on a secure Wi-Fi network to protect the company and its private information. When it comes to emergency response, your office building is likely equipped with smoke alarms and an advanced sprinkler system to ensure the utmost protection.
If your home has become the new office space, have you taken these same precautions?
Protect Your Home Devices
The first question to ask yourself is: Are my devices secure? Unfortunately, not every household takes the recommended steps to ensure their Wi-Fi network and collection of devices are protected. To anticipate a potential hack, which could lead to compromised personal and business information:
- Change the default password on your modem and router. Did you know the manufacturer settings on these devices are accessible online?
- Choose a Wi-Fi network name that does not include any identifying details.
- Create strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication on all devices.
- Enable auto-updates on your software, antivirus and malware programs.
 Prevent At-Home Injuries
Just as your business location has a property manager and your office has safety protocols, it’s important for your home workspace to be equally safe. Make sure you:
- Sit in an ergonomic chair with the computer at eye level to prevent neck strain.
- Remove slip, trip and fall hazards by making sure the area is not cluttered.
- Wear proper footwear and make sure any spills are cleaned up right away.
- Set up your workspace close to a power source, so you don’t have trailing cables.
Home-based businessowners should also have insurance to protect against weather and fire damage, client injuries on your property and potential lawsuits.
Be Careful with VideoconferencingÂ
Before the pandemic, you might have met with clients in person. Now you likely meet virtually, using a video conferencing service like Zoom. Employees can take the following steps to ensure information is kept safe during virtual meetings:
- Know that you will not be asked to provide any personally identifiable information.
- Only provide the basic details needed to set up your account (i.e. name, email).
- Only accept meeting invites from email addresses you recognize.
- Use the waiting room option to admit participants to prevent hackers from joining.
- Watch out for scams. If you receive an email that your account has been suspended or you missed a meeting but didn’t receive the original invite, clicking the link could compromise your information.
For more tips on how to safely use video conferencing tools, visit our Security Center