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Secure remote work

Nowadays, remote work and attending classes and lectures remotely is commonplace – we have gotten into the habit of working from home, in a café, on a train, on a plane, etc. When working remotely, people sometimes forget that you should adhere to the same rules of computer workstation use that apply in the office. In addition, it is important to take into account the remote work rules and general recommendations for remote work in your organisation.

Backups, Passwords and authentication, Physical devices

Recommendations for secure remote work

  • It is up to each organisation or company to decide whether to allow remote work and the restrictions and rights associated with it. You should therefore consult the remote work policy of your organisation (school, workplace) for more information.
  • Keep your professional and private lives separate (generally not applicable to schoolwork):
    • Use different devices for work and private matters; If you use your work computer for personal matters, you run a higher risk of both work-related data leaking and malware infection.
    • The device of the employer is for work purposes only and must not be given to anyone else to use, including family members.
    • Avoid accessing the environment of the employer from personal devices, unless otherwise agreed within the organisation.
    • Store work-related documents only in the devices and environments of your employer. Generally, it is not allowed to save work-related documents to your personal device or data carrier – this applies to computers, mobile phones, and tablets as well as flash drives and external hard drives.
    • When working remotely, use only authorised and secure communication channels allowed in your organisation, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, Rocket.Chat, etc.
    • Work-related chats and file-sharing should not be conducted on social media, as these environments cannot be controlled by the organisation so it might lead to data leaks.
  • Keep your network connections secure:
    • If possible, use your mobile internet and share it with your computer if necessary. Using public Wi-Fi may not be secure and someone could eavesdrop on your connection.
    • If you are using home Wi-Fi to work remotely, ensure the security of your network. Home network and devices
    • Use a VPN connection where possible and always use a VPN with public Wi-Fi. A VPN is a virtual private network that creates a secure connection between you and the service you use, where data transmitted between the parties is protected from third parties.
  • Be aware of your physical surroundings:
    • find a place that is as private and quiet as possible, where you can concentrate and ensure the confidentiality of your work-related information;
    • Make sure that the monitor or phone screen is positioned so that no one could see you entering your password or the work-related information on the screen over your shoulder or from the side. Also keep track of camera locations to avoid data leaks.
    • If you must use your laptop in public places, such as on public transport or in cafés regularly, then you should consider installing a privacy filter on your screen. Please note! A privacy filter does not give 100% assurance that unauthorised people are unable to see what is on the screen.
    • When discussing internal and sensitive topics by phone or in a video call, make sure that unauthorised people would not be able to hear you.
    • Always lock your screen when you leave your computer – both in the office and when working remotely.

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Secure remote work

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