Critical Cybersecurity Reminder for TechWorx Clients who are Telecommuting

The recent COVID-19 self-isolation mandates from the state of Pennsylvania last night has unexpectedly directed you and your team to telecommute—and we understand that you may be feeling overwhelmed. With many changes happening at once, telecommute security could be an afterthought or completely overlooked. This could put you and your organization at increased risk from attackers, who are always looking for opportunities to take advantage of disruption generally and weak security practices specifically. But it’s more than your organization at risk—if your telecommute device is compromised, anything else connected to your home network could be at risk too. We don’t want to see that happen.

Don’t panic.  There are ways to stay secure.

There are some simple things you can do to improve your security while working outside of the office. The tips that follow apply to almost all situations, and they’re relevant whether you’re using your organizations’ laptop or smartphone, or your own personal desktop or tablet.

7 Basic tips to improve your telecommute security:

1. Find out if your organization has rules or policies for telecommuting, and if so, make sure you read them and comply with them. For example, it may be OK for you to use your own computer for reading company email but not for accessing sensitive customer data. This is particularly important if your organization is in a regulated industry.

2. Protect your computer communications from eavesdropping. If you use Wi-Fi at home (most of us do), make sure your network is set up securely. Specifically, look to see if it is using “WPA2” or “WPA3” security, and make sure your password is hard to guess. If you’re unsure how to do this, you might be able to find a how-to video or checklist online by doing a search for your Wi-Fi router brand and model. You are welcome to contact our office for assistance if needed.

3. If your organization has a VPN (virtual private network), use that on your telecommute device for stronger protection. Many organizations require a VPN connection in their telecommuting rules or policies. If you are new to telecommuting and unsure if this is a requirement for your organization, ask your organization’s management team for advice.

4. If you’re using your own personal computer or mobile device (something not issued by your organization) for telecommuting, make sure you’ve enabled basic security features. Simply enabling the PIN, fingerprint, or facial ID feature will prevent people from getting on your device should you walk away from it. Any PIN or password you use should be hard to guess. Please make sure you document any additional PIN or passwords you add to your devices and keep the passwords in a safe place.

5. Keep your computers and mobile devices patched and updated. Most devices provide an option to check and install updates automatically. Enabling that option can be a good idea if you don’t want to check for updates periodically.

6. If you’re seeing unusual or suspicious activity on any device you’re using to telecommute (computer, mobile device, or home network) call or email TechWorx—better safe than sorry. Contact TechWorx help desk 814-806-3228 or email to report the activity.

7. Be on the lookout for social engineering attempts such as phishing emails or phone scams related to telecommuting. Social engineering is when someone tries to trick you into doing something or giving away personal information. Scammers and criminals use every major event to come up with new schemes, and with you and others suddenly telecommuting, attackers will try to take advantage of this changing environment. Here are some examples

• If you get emails from unknown accounts with strange file attachments.
• If people call claiming to be technical staff asking for your passwords or telling you to go to a website to ‘scan’ your computer.
• If you get unusual web meeting requests—don’t hesitate to ask questions and verify things by phone or other means before proceeding.

Stop what you are doing and contact TechWorx immediately if any of the above happen to you.

Remember we are here to help

TechWorx is remaining open and our staff is working remotely to support you. Almost all of our clients can either telecommute themselves or fit into one of the categories designated as life sustaining by Governor Wolf. We are here to support you and your team as we navigate this time together.

Stay safe and stay healthy.

-TechWorx Team