6 effective ways to stay safe from internet scams and threats while working from home

2020 will be known in the pages of history as the year that a global pandemic confined an entire generation of working professionals to their homes. The work-from-home business model has triggered many conversations about the pros and cons of working from the cubicle versus the couch, but an important element to be factored in is the security aspect of working from a susceptible home WiFi network as opposed to a robustly encrypted network in an office.

The former poses multiple security threats in the cyberspace, confirms Keshav Dhakad, group head and assistant general counsel for corporate, external and legal affairs at Microsoft India. He elaborates, “Employees in the virtual working environment risk letting their guard down on security as they navigate their tasks and responsibilities remotely. This presents vulnerabilities, especially when work documents, competitive intelligence, and confidential information is not accessed through a highly secure office network. With an estimated 91 per cent of cyberattacks originating with an email, employees’ heavy reliance on email communications, plus increasing use of conferencing tools during remote working increases the vulnerabilities.” If you’re looking to safeguard your online presence, it pays to adopt certain precautionary measures.

1. Watch out for phishing emails

Among the wide world of online scams, phishing emails pose a considerable threat wherein phishers pose as a trusted entity to get you to part with sensitive information. A common example of a phishing email is when you’re asked to click on a link to reactivate your account. You will then be asked to type your username and password which then reaches the hands of the phisher.

Dhakad advises keeping an eye out for the tell-tale signs of a phishing attempt. “Cybercriminals are not known for their grammar and spelling. If an email message is fraught with errors, it is likely to be a scam. One method of testing the legitimacy of a link is to rest your mouse—but not click—over the link to see if the address matches what was typed in the message. If you receive an email with an attachment from someone you don’t know, or an email from someone you know but with an attachment you weren’t expecting, it may be a phishing attempt. Attackers use multiple techniques to try and trick recipients into trusting that an attached file is legitimate,” he explains.

2. Protect yourself from COVID 19-themed attacks

Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic has witnessed a consequent rise in cybercriminals seeking to exploit public fear with promises of miracle cures and fraudulent calls for donations on behalf of reputed health organisations. Global security software McAfee has reported a dedicated spike in COVID 19-linked criminal activity online, ranging from fake UPI payment platforms for ordering essentials to phishing emails from banks.

It pays to adopt certain precautions, such as making online payments from authorised websites and apps only, as opposed to links received on emails. While making online payments, a private mobile data plan is always preferable over shared WiFi networks. Turning on multi-factor authentication, that verifies a user’s identity with two or more forms of evidence, can further discourage nefarious activity.

3. Safeguard your meetings from Zoombombing

With the world gripped with an unprecedented state of lockdown, video conferencing app Zoom played saviour for diverse activities, from employees working remotely to schoolchildren attending online classes. However, the uptick in popularity made the app the target of uninvited attendees who attempt to disrupt the meeting.

The phenomenon was quickly dubbed as ‘Zoombombing’ and was addressed by the company with a series of new updates rolled out a few weeks earlier. Passwords are now mandatory for joining a meeting, and the host is also advised to disable certain features. It is recommended that screen sharing capabilities only be assigned to the host to avoid any objectionable content from uninvited participants. The ‘join before host’ option should be disabled as well.

4. Practise password hygiene

Human beings are often described as creatures of habit, and there’s a good chance that you’re still employing some variation of the first-ever password you created. Given the times we live in, it is essential to practise password hygiene by updating passwords regularly and avoiding the use of the same password on multiple platforms. Experts also recommend the use of a randomly generated passphrase, rather than a predictable password that generally involves an easy-to-guess variation of your birthdate or family pet. Your options range from phrases, such as ‘2 be or not 2 be, that is the ?’ to a randomly generated string of words such as, ‘correct horse battery staple’.

5. Strengthen your home WiFi network

An office network makes for a secure environment for the transmission of information as a dedicated IT team is set in place to monitor cyber activity and strengthen the security of the network. With the sudden migration of the workforce to their homes, confidential information or sensitive data can easily fall prey to cybercriminals as home WiFi networks tend to have weaker protocols. There is a good chance that your WiFi network at home runs on the default password used while it was set up. The first step would be to choose a secure password to ensure that your network doesn’t get hijacked. You can also consider opting for a virtual private network (VPN) in keeping with the requirements of your organisation.

6. Don’t skip the software updates

Simply installing anti-virus software isn’t enough. If you’re looking to keep malware out for good, it is essential to stop clicking ‘remind me later’ on software updates. These are often designed to address security threats, and you can avail of newer features of security by opting for regular software updates. Dhakad echoes the sentiment. “For Windows 10 devices, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is a free built-in service that can be enabled through settings. One can also turn on cloud-delivered protection and automatic sample submission to enable artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to quickly identify and stop new and unknown threats,” he advises.

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