This year has been an interesting ride for sure! Many, many a meme has been created all in the name of 2020, and for good reason. As much as most of them are probably true, a year has never gone by quite as quickly and felt the total opposite. With most of us either currently or having worked from home either now or at some stage during this COVID-19 pandemic, home office tips and tricks are aplenty on the interwebs. If you have managed to find your way to this article, (which obviously you have because I am not writing this to myself…) you will know that home office security is something that is rarely talked about. Sure, it is no cat video with cucumbers or about a woman who killed and fed her husband to her pet wildcats – but home office security is important.
Table of Contents
Lock Your Door
This may seem like a no-brainer but it is pretty important to keep your office doors and drawers locked when you are not inside or using them. You do not need the world, or even just your kids, knowing your company’s private and confidential information. Think of it like a data breach, but instead of high-tech hackers from across the ocean, you are protecting your information from 12 year olds who have moms who like to talk and are members of book clubs. Your company’s third quarter losses do not really need to fall into the hands of Susan from number 12.
Upgrade (or Install) Your Alarm
Alarm systems are wonderful things, from the most humble of beginnings which was probably nothing more than you had imagined to the high-tech robot beasts of today, installing or upgrading your alarm will give you peace of mind when you are asleep or out running errands. Automatic motion sensor beams deter any unwanted intruders. Not today Susan, not today… Another thing to think about is 2-10 Home Warranty coverage. If something happens it gives you incredible peace of mind to know your covered!
Wi-Fi Network Security
Whether you are a budding blogger showing off your whipped coffee recipe (mine did not work, yes I am indeed bitter, but no more bitter than that gross coffee was) or the CEO of a very fancy shmancy corporation, a wi-fi password and encrypted connection is an absolute must. Unless, of course, you have no problem paying for the internet connection powering bored Susan’s online purchases. I would mind, I paid for my internet connection Susan – what have you done lately?
Data Backup
Unless you want to be left wondering what in the actual 2020 happened to your precious company data, it would be a great idea to invest in a good backup solution. This does not necessarily have to be an advanced penthouse suite on a very expensive data cloud, even a run of the mill external hard drive will suffice. Cloud computing is recommended, hard drives have been known to fail from time to time and if your Murphy is anything like my Murphy, you will need a backup for your original backup. I cannot stress to you enough how vitally important this is to your home office environment. Many cyber-security solutions offer backup solutions too, which is handy if you are incredibly lazy and cannot manage a Google search.
To end, I truly hope you appreciate my pearls of wisdom and sage office security advice; it comes from a place filled with love and only marginal judgement if your name starts with an “S” and ends in a “usan”. Working from home safely and securely will go a long way in ensuring you keep your job or are incredibly successful with your home start-up, whatever industry you are in – best of luck for the remainder of this very long, very strange year!
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