In response to the COVID-19, the modern workplace has tremendously changed. Many organisations across the globe have rolled out work-from-home agreements and the number of employees signing for remote working has also increased. Although remote working a great way to keep the operations up and running and enjoying seamless communication with high speed internet cloud-based networks, such a situation also comes with certain challenges in terms of cybersecurity. However, the road to establishing a comprehensive cybersecurity is not as troublesome as many think it is. You only have to be mindful of your currently implemented security measures and improvements that you can make for securing your network.
Here are a few tips to secure you internet connection when working from home.
- Use Wireless Network Encryption Along with MAC
Encryption is one of the most trusted ways of securing a network. Although encryption is fundamentally an old-school technology that scrambles the data to protect it, the advancements in encryption methods have enabled it to cope with evolving cyber threats. Currently, cybersecurity experts suggest using Wireless Protected Access 2 (WPA2) encryption that is an upgraded version of the standard WPA encryption. The encryption is the best till date as it is based on the IEEE 802.11i technology standard.One can also use Media Access Control (MAC) address filtering to make the Wi-Fi connection more secure. This is not one the standard security features present in Wi-Fi routers as you have to be careful while installing a broadband connection. MAC address is an identifier that can limit the number of devices that can hook up to your home network. You can enter the MAC addresses of all the devices that you want to hook up to your home network. This way, MAC filter won’t allow any external device trying to access your network connection and keep the network safe from potential threats.
- Use a Licensed Company-Designated VPN, but Don’t Overuse It
Another easy method that even not so tech-savvy individuals can adopt for masking their true IP address and location. VPN sets up a virtual network that hides all online activities continuously changing IP addresses and the location. This way, no individual or bot can lock on to your true IP address and location. VPN are like any other software and are available in both free and paid versions. However, using a completely free VPN that is not going to cost you even a penny in the future may come with certain risks.One such big risk is, you exactly don’t know the motives of the company that is providing such a service absolutely free of cost. There is a high probability that they may be keeping logs of your activities along with complete network information. This may result in a data breach and theft of valuable information. Therefore, opting for the services of a VPN company designated by your organisation or a company that clearly states its privacy policy and terms of use is a far better choice. In addition, continuously using VPN for more than 5-6 hrs is also not advised as there are so many addresses and locations your VPN can jump from. Using it for longer hours may alert cybercriminals as they often look for online patterns, and they can implement more advanced methods for breaching the network.
- Use Split Networks
Network splitting is simply creating an additional virtual network and using it for specific tasks such as office work. This feature is present with modern Wi-Fi routers and if not, one can install a separate switch that can enable or disable a virtual network almost instantly. The benefit of splitting your network and working on a virtual network is that this virtual network can only be identified by the systems it is engaging such as systems from your office. For all the other external users, they can only see the real network that facilitates the virtual network. This way, your online interactions stay out of the sight of hackers and cybercriminals and your network stays protected.
Conclusion: These are some of the simple but effective ways to secure your network and online interactions when working from home. Although business organisations use high-end end cybersecurity tactics facilitated by third-party cybersecurity service providers in which they include every network that works with the organisation (such as employees), remote working professionals can also be mindful of readily available methods that they can use to protect their personal networks at home.
Taking things forward from here, BUS ICT is one of the cybersecurity and business internet service providers in Australia which offers a range of managed comprehensive services such as Cloud security along with complete IT security. BUS ICT is a group of people dedicated to the cause of providing robust network security services. BUS ICT’s network security features include SOPHOS network security, Next-gen firewalls, LAN audits, and endpoint protection, so you can focus on your work while we take care of the safety of your invaluable data.