Securing your home WiFi network: Remote Working

The decision by many organisations to prepare and operate a remote working scenario to help combat the spread of the corona-virus, is commendable.

Unfortunately, history tells us, where there is an opportunity, there is also vulnerability and exploitation for cyber criminals and fraudsters to take advantage. Personal devices and home networks can become the “backdoor” for cyber criminals to bypass normal security defences.

As more organisations take the decision to adopt remote working plans, our advice is to ensure that organisations go back to basics in terms of fostering ongoing cyber security awareness for their workforce.

Vigilance is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to keep an organisation secure. It is a joint effort to protect the organisation’s data.

Keep Cyber Simplified.

Here is the TenIntelligence top ten points on securing your home WiFi network:

1. Treat your home working environment as you would your office – be disciplined. Don’t be tempted to use personal laptops and devices to perform employment work.
2. Secure your home network. Source your instruction manual for your router and find the log in details of your home router. If you cannot find the manual – open your normal browser and search using the details on the back of the router.
3. Once you have these details, make sure the password is set to a strong and unique phrase which (only) you can easily remember for example, “#C0ronaV1rusG0Away” exchanging some letters with numbers and adding a hashtag/speech marks for extra security.
4. Make sure you are not using the default password which is written on the router – these can be easily found online!
5. Under the wireless settings (usually found in Network & Internet > Status) there should be a tab to encryption or authentication settings – make sure this is set to “WPA2-Personal”.
6. Check that the router hardware is using the most up-to-date software – if not, initiate an upgrade to/for the router.
7. Most modern routers have a firewall, locate the firewall settings and ensure it is switched on.
8. Remain vigilant whilst working online, do not click on emails or links that you can not verify.
9. Don’t change any of your settings on your employer’s laptop unless acknowledged by your IT department.
10. If your organisation doesn’t have laptops, speak directly with your employers IT department to establish their security processes and guidance. There are likely to be emergency contractual clauses that you and your employer will need to agree.

If in doubt, contact your IT department or the TenIntelligence cyber team for further advice.

Business Continuity:

Engaging with clients and colleagues is an essential part of business; especially when unmitigated circumstances which we are all now facing, are involved.  For us, it is business as normal, just working differently.

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