Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Work From Home Security

When you are working from home either as a normal part of your work setup, due to a pandemic, or your office being unavailable there are some things you need to consider to protect your business.

If you are using company equipment at home, then your components should already have the basics such as anti-virus (AV) installed. The operating system (OS) and many applications will let you know when you need to update them, but some will not, so you will need to find out how to run those updates. You should also check that your AV software is getting new virus definition updates at least daily.

If you are using a personal device, you need to make sure it is locked down like a company system. First, apply all security updates to the OS and the applications. Next, you must have installed a reputable AV application installed (ask your IT department for a recommendation). Do not store sensitive data (such as credit card data or social security numbers) as you will not be able to remotely wipe or lock a lost device. You will also want to make sure you lock your computer when you are away from it – you would hate to have one your kids send an interesting email to your entire organization, and you know they will do it!

Your organization must have a BYOD policy that clearly outlines the ownership of data and apps, as well as the minimum security required and how staff will handle sensitive data.

For both company and personal systems, you should:

• Only connect to wireless systems that you trust and have been secured with a password and encryption
• Not visit questionable web sites or click on untrusted links in email or social media
• Not leave sensitive data laying around your office

With good planning and training your staff can have a smooth work from home experience that benefits both them and your organization.