A few decades ago, things were quite different. But today we cannot imagine having an office or running any kind of business without using some IT equipment. Electronics and computers can help our business grow in many different ways. But with so much being at stake, an important question inevitably arises, namely how to have the best home office IT security.
What is a home office IT security? There are two elements to the home office IT security — remote access security and physical access security. In order to have proper home office IT security, you need to follow certain good practices in using your IT equipment.
There are a lot of little details and caveats that you need to keep in mind when securing your home office IT equipment. Read on, as I will share with you what I learned when I was researching how to secure my own home office IT equipment.
Which IT Equipment You Need to Secure?
In order to get a better picture of what kind of IT security you will need, we just need to take a look at the equipment most people will usually have in their home office.
You will have at least one of these:
- A computer;
- A network router;
- A mobile phone; and
- A printer;
These four are the primary concern when it comes to providing IT security for your home office. Yes, even the printer! As it stands, people can hack and access even your printer!
How to Secure Your Home Office Computer?
Even if you don’t need to have a printer or a smartphone, the chances are you will definitely need to have at least a computer or a laptop. And computers are usually where the most sensitive and important information is stored, hence why they need to be secured as much as possible.
As you read, you will see that every home office IT equipment will need some kind of security and protection. Computers, on the other hand, are an area where we will need to focus the majority of our attention.
- First, I would Advise on having a separate computer or workstation dedicated for your business purposes. Don’t use your computer for personal and general use.
- Make sure that all software and the operating system (OS) are up to date. Don’t skip on the security updates. Every software, app or program can have some security flaws which can be discovered later;
- Click only on trusted links and images. This is one of the main ways hackers can access our data or infect your IT equipment with different malware and spyware. This includes any links in emails, attachments, websites, even fake program updates;
- Have a reputable antivirus, anti-spyware, and firewall protection software installed.
- Use reliable and up-to-date Internet browsers. And make sure to review and adjust your browser’s security options;
- Always use strong passwords for your website logins. Don’t use the same password across multiple platforms and websites. Whenever possible use a two-factor authentication methods for the best security;
- Use data encryption tools and software to protect your data and information;
- Encrypt your internet traffic and browsing by using a trusted and reputable VPN service;
- Make sure to change your passwords every few months or so;
- Make sure that only you or other trusted people have access to your computer. Always lock your computer when you are not working on it and have a strong password set in place;
- Use secured and tested cloud-based services to store your data.
How to Secure Your Network Router?
The router is another piece of IT equipment that it is safe to say everybody will need to have in their home office. The network router needs to be secured too, as essentially this is what connects our computer to the Internet. Frequently the router can be one of the weakest links in the chain. The traditional wired connection is the safest way to connect to the Internet. With the wired connection, you have the lowest chance of having your bandwidth or data intercepted or stolen.
However, a lot of us will use a wireless network because of its convenience. And the wireless signal can be easily intercepted and used by other people.
- Make sure the firmware of the router is up to date;
- Change the default password for your router to something new and unique;
- Have network encryption enabled;
- Use MAC filtering so that only specific computers and devices can connect to your wireless network;
- You can reduce the range of the WiFi signal;
- You can access your admin page on your router to monitor who is connected to your wireless network;
- Make sure that only you or other trusted people have physical access to your router;
How to Secure Your Home Office Smartphone?
It is important not to spread any fear, but it is a fact of life that nobody is safe from hacking attacks, viruses, and more. And we can quickly reduce the chances of our data being breached or stolen by following some essential steps and practices.
One of the most vital areas that need to be kept in check 100% of the time are the apps and programs running on your phone. A lot of people will have crucial and sensitive information stored on their phones, including names and addresses, payment information, credit card data, passwords, and more.
- You want to have only verified and trusted apps and programs running on your phone. You don’t really want anything that may ask for access to your personal data, phone book, etc.;
- Use two-factor authentication where applicable;
- Additionally, make sure to keep your apps, software, and OS updated. Old apps and programs can frequently pose some dangers and security holes which may be abused;
- Rooted and “jailbreaking” a phone may also leave your phone vulnerable to hacks, so unless you have complete confidence in what you are doing I would advise on avoiding it;
- Install a reputable and trusted antivirus app;
- Avoid using your phone for general purpose browsing;
- Make sure to connect only to secure WiFi networks and avoid using public internet connections;
- Avoid using untrusted websites. Do not click on the links or images that seem trustworthy, especially if you don’t know where they will lead you to;
- Use strong and long passwords;
- Use only your charger and USB cable (Yes, even they can be hacked!);
- Make sure to revise and manage the app permissions;
- Make frequent backups;
And even if you take the best care to secure your phone internet-wise, there are more things you need to take care of, especially regarding physical access.
- I recommend having a separate smartphone that you will be using for your business purposes. This may be more expensive but may save you some trouble in the long run;
- Setup your lock screen;
- Be mindful of smart unlock features and lock screen notifications that may unlock your phone;
- Make sure that if your phone gets stolen, you can track and lock it remotely;
- Don’t allow the apps or accounts you use to log in automatically;
How to Secure Your Home Office Printer?
Did you know that printers can be hacked as well? As it stands even, they are not safe. I am talking about wireless printers, which although being very useful and convenient, can also be more susceptible to hackers. If you have a regular wired printer that is connected to your computer, there isn’t much to worry about as they are the safest choice possible.
There are a few things that you can do to make sure your home office printer is as secure as possible:
- Setup printer encryption when possible;
- Make sure to keep the firmware of your printer updated;
- Disable the options of printing over the internet;
- Don’t allow anyone to use your printer. Setting up an authorization system in place can be very helpful in stopping other people from accessing your printer and setting up printing queues;
- Close router ports;
- Don’t connect it to public wireless networks;
- Change the default password of your printer;
- Don’t leave your printer working when not in use;
Related questions
How can you protect your business from cyber attacks? The steps to guard your Home Office based business from cyber attacks are as follow: always use strong passwords (longer than 8 characters, no repeat character nor following numbers, combination of lower case and upper case and some special characters). Also, Back up your data regularly or use the cloud for non sensitive data. Very sensitive data never gets on the cloud and needs to be manually and regularly backed up on USB key or external drives. Scan your devices and drives daily and use a good antivirus.
What is the cost of IT support for a small business? You can expect to pay about $50 per desktop per month for a “managed service”: in case of an issue, you call. Fixing is done remotely and a “Tech” can come if needed. Alternatively, you can alternatively use an “IT guy” who can help when needed and that would amount to about $60 to $100 per hour.