With more and more coronavirus cases, companies have been encouraging their employees to work from home. Many of them noticed that there does not seem to be any sign of the situation getting better, so it is simply best to go with the flow rather than let the business fail. Many companies, such as the tech giant Microsoft, have openly said that they will allow their employees to work from home permanently, even after the crisis is over.
That is a significant change not only in people’s careers but also in their lives. Without a doubt, this trend is here to stay, and we should embrace it as what it is – new possibilities and a sign of advancement as humankind. The thing is, however, that such a massive change in life will bring even greater threats. It is also worth pointing out that we should not be using the future tense here as it is already happening.
Working from home is less secure
When you’re at your office, multiple IT people are continually working to ensure that everything is secure. That includes, but is not limited to, your computer, servers and, most importantly, networks connecting them. The problem is that you now work from home, so there is not anybody to help you with security. It means that you could potentially fall victim of cyberattacks much easier.
But how is it not secure
Now you might think, how is that even possible? If your employer lets you do this, then there should not be any threats possibly associated with it, right? Well, not really. In fact, there are so many cyber-related threats that the only way to avoid them would be to have someone overlooking you, as it is the case at your workplace. Otherwise, you’ll be exposed to a variety of attacks, most importantly network ones.
How does it work
When you want to connect to the Internet, you will most likely use a network to do that. It means that your connection goes through a router first, which then passes it further, ultimately connecting you to the World Wide Web. It means that the data you send and receive is transferred in the air. Therefore, that system makes it possible to intercept that data, and that is precisely how criminals exploit it.
Not only your data
Working from home, you have to connect to the Internet somehow, and that is when networks come in. It does not matter whether you got bored of working from your living room and decided to move spots to your favorite coffee shop or are comfortably sitting at your own home using your own network. You can become a victim virtually anywhere where there is Internet connection. Remember that if it is your company computer, the data that gets stolen is not yours and can be potentially worth millions of dollars.
How to protect yourself
While this threat is real and may sound intimidating, there is a simple solution to it, and you’ve probably even heard about it but still do not use it. It is a virtual private network or a VPN for short, and it is been all over the media recently, and for a reason. It is a convenient way to protect yourself from man-in-the-middle attacks and end this threat once and for all.
One extra layer
When using a VPN, you will connect to a server that can be located anywhere in the world. It will work as an extra layer between your device and the Internet, effectively making the data you send and receive invisible for those with malicious intentions. In addition to that, it will also protect you from other parties who might want to spy on you, such as your Internet provider or government agencies.
Best VPN software
With the abundance of everything nowadays, it might be hard to find the best tools available. Some are free, and some want you to pay, depending on what is available. The difference can be in the number of servers to which you can connect as well as their locations. In addition to that, some products offer extra features, such as data encryption, to further maximize your safety. That is why in the detailed review on NordVPN, you will find more information on one of the most popular software of this kind.
The bottom line
Just because there are threats does not mean you have to stay vulnerable. Even if you think you won’t need it as you do not use public networks, remember that your neighbors probably know you work from home and might want a piece of the cake. Therefore, it is good to always have VPN software on your work device as you never know when you might need it.