The rise of remote working over the last few years has brought many benefits to both employees and businesses. Remote working can improve productivity, increase morale, provide greater flexibility and reduce costs amongst other benefits, but it is important to be aware that this can also be dangerous if you are not careful.
Dangers of Working in Public
Many employees end up working in public places by connecting to public Wi-Fi, but this is often not secured and could be dangerous. Working on public Wi-Fi could put your business data at risk to hackers which could potentially ruin a company. Not only this, but leaving a device unattended could also be costly if you were working in a place like a coffee shop so businesses need to be aware of what the risks are and what they can do to promote safety.
Unsecured & Secured Networks
First, it is important to educate your team on the risks of connecting to public Wi-Fi when working remotely. An unsecured network needs to be used with caution so they should never access sensitive data, shop online or use personal bank accounts when using this type of connection. If possible, they should connect to a secured network which will usually require registering an account, typing in a password and agreeing to legal terms. This is much safer but you must still be cautious.
Shoulder Surfing
Additionally, if they are commuting and getting trains to Peckham Rye, for example, they also need to be cautious of people “shoulder surfing” and seeing any data which they should not be – this can be a big problem on trains because you often have to sit in close proximity to people. Always be wary of those around you and try to avoid performing any sensitive work when in a public place.
VPN
Another good practice for any staff working remotely and on public Wi-Fi is to use a virtual private network (VPN). This can create a secure connection and encrypt any data that is sent or received so that it cannot be intercepted. While a VPN is a good idea, it is still not a perfect solution and it is best to avoid handling any kind of sensitive information when using an unsecured public Wi-Fi (for business and personal uses).
Remote working can bring many benefits to employees and businesses, but it is important that you remain safe and cautious particularly if you are using an unsecured public Wi-Fi connection. Additionally, you must also be wary of those around you and avoid handling any kind of sensitive data unless you are at home or in the office. When you follow these tips, it should allow you and the business to enjoy all of the perks that remote working can bring and feel confident when working remotely.
