Working in an office is a dream for many, but it doesn’t come without its flaws. For one, it isn’t ideal for your physical health if you don’t make up for it outside of work. But in this article, we’d like to shift your focus to security.
Most of the tools and services you use daily can be used as attack vectors for adversaries to get into your system. Taking steps to bolster security is necessary for protecting yourself and your organization.
Let’s go over several essential office security practices:
Use strong passwords and enable 2FA
Employees and individuals in general, love to take shortcuts. So, when asked to create a password for their corporate accounts, they usually speed through the process. This makes it super easy for hackers to crack passwords via brute-force attacks. Employees must create strong passwords with a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is another employee’s best friend. Having that extra layer of protection on top of a strong password will eliminate 99% of credential-related intrusions. The more authentication factors you put in front of your data, the better protected it is.
Store your data securely
As an office worker, the data you work with is integral to your job. Depending on your position, this data could be highly sensitive, which means it must be protected. But no matter the level of sensitivity, any business data is valuable.
A virtual cloud is one of the most secure ways to store sensitive business data. Cloud service providers offer robust security features, such as encryption and strong access control, which protect your data from cyber threats.
Regularly update your software
Large organizations with significant IT staff pay people to remind their co-workers to install the latest software updates. In smaller companies, it’s usually up to the individual to remember this. All software, including operating systems and security applications, should be updated regularly to patch vulnerabilities and stay protected against new threats.
Software providers are great at alerting their users that an update is available. The next time you encounter such a notification, don’t ignore it.
Back up the most critical data
As an office worker, you probably experienced a situation where you were nervous about finding a certain file. The feeling is even worse when you fail to find the said file. That’s where having a backup would come in very handy.
Backups can also protect you during cyber attacks if someone steals or deletes sensitive data. Creating backups is mundane, so you don’t have to do it for all your files. However, backing up the most critical business data is a best security practice that you shouldn’t ignore.
Always lock your computer
Last but not least, digital security threats can also come from the physical world. There have been many instances where employees have forgotten to lock their device, allowing adversaries to do damage. A few seconds is all it takes for someone to infect your device with malware. Then, they can do even further damage without needing physical access to your device.
Unless you’re standing up to stretch in front of your computer, always lock it when going away. A quick bathroom break in Starbucks is harmless, but not if you leave an unlocked device behind.
Final thoughts
Ensuring the security of your office and its devices is essential to protect your business and personal information from cyber-attacks and data breaches. Implementing the essential office security practices covered in this article can significantly reduce the risk of security incidents.
By prioritizing security, employees can create a safe and relaxed work environment. It is important to regularly review and update security practices to keep up with evolving threats and to stay ahead of potential security risks.
