Cyber Security Tips for Your Home Office

Whether you work from your home office on a full-time basis or part-time basis, there are many cyber security threats that could take down your home network. Network security is already handled for you in an external office environment. That is why it is easy to let your guard down when it comes to securing your home network. Losing your work to computer viruses, malware, or hacking in your home office is just as likely as it occurring in an external office environment. Here are some ways to protect your home office from cyber security threats. Use a Two-Factor Authentication Not only is it important to create a strong password, it is essential that you enable two-factor authentication for all of the programs and web services you log into on your computer. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to use the same password for every program or service they use. Even worse, the password is easy to guess. Even though it is your home office, avoid placing your password on a sticky note or anywhere others may find it. Create passwords that are at least 8 characters long and contain letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and symbols.  Enable two-factor authentication on your web service if available.  Two-factor authentication allows you to log into a service so long as you have your phone with you to receive a log in code once you put in your password. Use Email Encryption It is surprising for many people to learn that sending email is not as secure as they thought it was. Internet service providers are scanning your messages and they are easy for hackers to access before they reach the person you are sending it to. With encrypted email, what you are sending is only visible between you and the recipients. Encryption greatly reduces having important information compromised by malicious users. Install Anti-virus Software Installing anti-virus software is the standard for helping to protect your computer. However, many home office computers do not have the proper software installed and strictly assume that the software alone is protecting them. This makes it really easy for viruses and malware to take control of your computer. When viruses or malware get access to your computer, you are at risk of losing your data or even having to reinstall the operating system and start fresh. Ensure you protect your computer by installing good anti-virus software and keeping it up to date. Have a Backup Plan Data loss can halt a your operations. In some cases, you may be unable to recover. While you cannot prevent any of these situations from happening, you can protect your data by having an online data backup plan. Without an online data backup plan, you could risk a significant amount of data loss. It is difficult to recover from data loss if there is no backup in place. Data backup in the cloud can protect your data from data loss threats. Keeping your data safe in your home office is just as important as it is in the workplace. The tips above are a great starting point for helping to secure your home network.