Working Remotely? 3 Tips to Keep Your Data Safe

With the worldwide spread of COVID-19, many more people must now work remotely. Cyberattacks are rising as hackers try to take advantage of this opportunity. And data protection regulations still apply, as warned by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).

How do you keep your organization’s data safe and compliant while nearly everyone is working away from the office?

This simple guide will help you understand which tools are most useful to you and your company to ensure protection of sensitive data from prying eyes.

3 Data Protection Tips

Most likely, our homes don't offer the same protection as our office environments. When computers and hard drives leave the office building, new risks arise, and additional policies are required...

• Leverage Whole Disk Encryption
  When computers are lost or stolen, sensitive data goes with it. Whole disk encryption is the most basic defense to reduce this risk. Review step-by-step instructions to get started. For Admins, consider adding a key management system to remotely recover or reset keys that have been forgotten or compromised. This enterprise feature is offered by most commercial solutions – for example BestCrypt by Jetico.
• Use Internet Security with a VPN Connection
  When working from home, your traffic likely goes through an open public network instead of your protected office network. To block out others from snooping and tracking your online data, use a VPN connection. Review your existing Internet Security tools. Many providers also offer trusted VPN – for example Freedome by F-Secure, which claims no backdoors.
• Rely on End-To-End Encryption for Communications
  Calling, texting and sharing files with your team will become an essential part of your daily routine. Yet many communications and messaging apps are insecure; and companies providing the service can often access everything you say, write or send. End-to-end encryption is the best way to keep your communications secure. A very popular app for trusted communications is Signal.

Extra Tips – New Computer or Repurposing Used Hardware?

When it’s not possible to bring your office computer home, people might be asked to repurpose an old home computer or get a new device. In these cases, here are some general tips:
 

• Before re-purposing, make sure to securely remove all existing data. Tools to wipe out entire hard drives are available for download – for example BCWipe Total WipeOut by Jetico.
• Download and install all security patches and updates available for your operating system. And keep installing those updates as they become available.
• Use Internet Security software, including at least antivirus and firewall, to ensure you stay safe online before connecting to the rest of the world. Most likely your company already has a policy in place. Talk to your IT department or check out these 10 free data privacy tools to get started.
• Check your privacy settings. Don’t know where to find the privacy settings for your browser or for the apps and websites you use? Find help from the NCSA.