As a rank and file employee, you may not spend a lot of time worrying about the well-being of your agency, but you should. Like it or not, your fortunes and the fortunes of the agency you work for are inextricably intertwined, and a change in one will likely lead to a change in the other.
If your boss has allowed you to work from home, you have a certain responsibility to keep their data safe and provide a secure working environment. If you fail to do so, you could trigger a monumentally negative event in the form of a data breach. And if that data breach is traced back to you, your odds of remaining employed will drop to nearly zero. With that in mind, here are nine easy things you can do to protect your agency – and your job.
- Lock your devices when you walk away. Nosy roommates, rambunctious children and curious spouses can all be sources of data leaks, so take a second to lock your screen every time you walk away
- Use extreme caution when working offsite. While working from the local coffee shop may be enticing, you should exercise caution when leaving your home. Connecting to public Wi-Fi is extremely dangerous, especially for work-related activities.
- Ask your agency about a virtual private network. A virtual private network, or VPN, creates a secure tunnel for data to pass through. Using a VPN to connect to the office is a must for data safety, so ask your agency how to set it up and make sure you use it every time.
- Beef up your home Wi-Fi security. When you first set up your Wi-Fi network, data security may not have been top of mind, but now is the time to revisit the subject. Make sure your Wi-Fi password is long and complex, and that every device that connects to your network has the latest security patches.
- Unplug your smart home devices. Alexa is always listening, including when you are on a conference call or talking to your boss. Make sure those virtual assistants are disabled or unplugged as you start your workday.
- Set up two-factor authentication for work-related websites. Two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of protection for work-related activities, including visiting agency websites and vendor sites. Once it is set up, two-factor authentication will require you to enter a one-time code as well as your normal username and password.
- Follow agency policy when using your own devices. Many agencies have adopted a bring your own device (BYOD) policy, allowing telecommuters to use their personal laptops, tablets and smartphones. If your agency has a BYOD policy in place, make sure you read it, understand it and follow it to the letter.
- Stay alert for targeted phishing schemes. As the number of telecommuters has skyrocketed, hackers have started targeting those at-home workers. Stay vigilant and watch out for those scams, and report any suspicious texts or emails to your agency’s IT department right away.
- Contact OCIO before installing any software. There may be times when new software will need to be installed, either on your personal devices or the computer your agency provided. Even so, it is important to contact the IT department directly if you receive such a request. It could be legitimate, but it could also be a hacker trying to break into the agency network.
Agencies have loosened the rules governing where and when their employees work, and that can be good for companies and workers alike. Having the freedom to work from home and avoid the daily commute is certainly attractive, and the last thing you want is to lose that privilege, or worse, your job.
If you want to stay employed and working from home, following the best practices listed above is a good place to start. The safety tips listed above can help you protect agency data, giving you, and your agency, one less thing to worry about.
About PSL
PSL is a global outsource provider whose mission is to provide solutions that facilitate the movement of business-critical information between and among government agencies, business enterprises, and their partners. For more information, please visit https://www.penielsolutions.com or email info@penielsolutions.com.