Physical Security
Make sure your work devices are physically safe, and that you avoid offering unauthorized views of confidential information. Here are a few ways to to help ensure physical security:
- If you need to leave your home for supplies or other reasons, make sure your work devices are either shut down or locked, and put in a secure place.
- If you live with a roommate or young children, be sure to lock your computer even when you step away for just a bit. Don’t tempt your roommates or family members by leaving your work open.
- Only Daemen employees should be using college-owned devices, they are not to be shared with family, and only to be used for work purposes.
- If working with sensitive printed documents, be sure to securely lock up any files and shred them once they are no longer needed.
Secure Connections
- If using a VPN make sure that you are connected to a secure source (locked down home internet, avoid public Wi-Fi) before enabling and be sure to disconnect when you are done.
- Secure your home Wi-Fi with a strong password and be sure to change the default password it came with.
- Make sure to reset the default password on your home router and enable any necessary security settings.
- If possible use a wired connection rather than Wi-Fi.
Cybersecurity Best Practices
Other security precautions may not be all that different from those you should be practicing while on campus, but they are easy to forget when you are working in your own home environment. A few of the most important:
- Be wary of phishing emails. There will be many going around trying to capitalize on fear, questions about isolation and its psychological impacts, or even pretending to offer advice. Scan those emails with a sharp eye and do not open attachments unless they’re from a known, trusted source.
- Daemen IT will never ask for your passwords – and that includes for VPNs .
- Make sure to be wary of what information is being sent over screen shares, If there are individuals in a meeting that should not be seeing sensitive info, then do not have any of that open.
- Be cautious on what virtual meetings to join. Only join meetings from trusted individuals and to examine the links closely from those that are not well-known.
Check out our Coronavirus Scams Phishing Awareness article for more information.