Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s stay-at-home orders?

You’re not alone.

You’re also not alone in juggling a lot of new things, like homeschooling, figuring out video teleconferencing platforms and finding a new spot in your house to set up your office.

But have you started thinking about the cyber security implications to spending a lot more time online in your home for work?

The Federal Trade Commission outlined some of the important things to think about when setting up a work-from-home / telework / telecommuting system in a new place.

Here’s a few tips on how to protect your devices and personal information.

• Be sure you’re up to date with the cybersecurity basics. Check your security software to ensure that’s up to date. Use passwords – strong passwords that are at least 12 characters and a mix of numbers, symbols, upper and lower case letters – on all devices and apps.
• Secure your home network. For more guidance, read Securing Your Wireless Network and Secure Remote Access.
• Check your laptop and make sure it’s password-protected, locked and secure.
• Physical security matters, too. Have papers to store? If you don’t have a file cabinet at home, use a locked room. When sensitive documents are ready to get tossed, be sure to feed them to a shredder. Paperwork you no longer need can be treasure to identity thieves if it includes personal information about customers or employees, the Federal Trade Commission warns. For more tips, read about physical security.
• Follow your employer’s security practices.

Want to learn more? Read the Federal Trade Commission’s small business cybersecurity materials and online security articles.