For many of us, working from home is no longer an occasional perk or privilege - it's a way of life.
Although many businesses are choosing to embrace hybrid working, where time is spent both at home and in the office, many workers may now have switched to working entirely remotely.
But this change does come with potential concerns, particularly around security - so here are some of our top tips when it comes to staying safe when working from home.
Get a password manager
First things first - some security basics.
It’s always a good idea to keep your passwords fresh, changing them every few months if possible. Using a different, hard-to-guess password for each different account mixing letters, numbers and special characters will help keep you secure. This is especially true if you re-use the same password across different accounts, as all it takes is for one to be compromised for all the others to become so as well.
Bitdefender Total Security comes with an in-built Password Manager service to look after all your details, and also suggests tough-to-crack alternative passwords, giving you one less thing to worry about.
Make sure all the devices are secure
If you’ve employed some of your own devices to work from home, it’s worth making sure they are all protected properly. Even though most of us are hopefully well aware of needing to make sure our laptops or desktops are secure, other devices often get forgotten.
Hackers are increasingly targeting other unprotected devices such as tablets and smartphones, and even the likes of printers and internet routers, which can be easy targets due to a lack of even basic protection.
Bitdefender Total Security can be used across up to 15 devices per household, and supports a number of generations of Windows, macOS, Android and iOS platforms - meaning you can be sure all your devices are protected.
Boost your VPN
If you're working remotely, there's a very large chance you're already using some kind of VPN service to access company systems, data or documents. But if you're using a personal device to do so, it may be worth investing in your own VPN to ensure an extra security boost.
If you still don't know what a VPN is, it disguises your IP address and connection to hide your real location, meaning hackers or stalking software shouldn’t be able to track your internet activity or find out where you are.
Fortunately Bitdefender Total Security comes with its own Secure VPN service that offers complete online privacy alongside a 200MB/day per device allowance, meaning you can be sure that your safety isn't compromised.
Don't let your guard down
Whether you work for a multinational business or are just launching a start-up, criminals will always be keen to steal the data you work with.
All companies need to ensure their security protection is up to scratch these days, not just big businesses, so making sure your identity stays protected is vital. Always ensure the emails or websites you interact with are legitimate, especially if they ask you for personal or business data, so that you aren’t giving away valuable data without knowing it.
Bitdefender Total Security comes with a range of tools to make sure you don’t fall victim to ID theft, ranging from specialised social network protection to a strong privacy firewall. The platform also offers an improved vulnerability assessment which will scan for possible security flaws such as missing Windows security patches and potentially unsafe system settings, before suggesting the best fix to keep you safe.
