Well, by next week most of us are at full swing in delivering our responsibilities. Does not matter if you work for a financial institution, government agency, religious organization, NGO or just at home, I am taking some minutes to remind all of you of some of the basic considerations whenever your computers or mobile devices access the internet. This short article is not to scare you, just to refresh and remind you to stay alert and vigilant:
A) VPN. Please, please, please public WiFi networks are not necessarily secure. There are several ways to “collect” confidential information while using public hotspots. Needless to say, employees only should have access to corporate networks by using a VPN. A VPN encrypts all traffic that passes through, improving security.
B) Enable Password Management and Two-Factor Authentication. Yes, I agree, it might be a little inconvenience to use some of those password management applications or enabling Two-Factor authentication. Just a quick question, how much might represent to you the cost of a Hacked Bank Account, access to private information (Personal, Family or Corporate). Again it is just a little inconvenience.
C) Personal devices in Corporate Networks. This is a difficult one. Sometimes employees are so keen on their devices that they prefer them instead of Company provided devices. Awareness is key, no personal devices should be able to access corporate networks, or users need to let IT manager install on such devices password control and access applications to stay safe. Sorry guys.
D) Awareness, Education, communication. All of us should be vigilant and aware of the basic forms of how phishing traps try to gain access to our personal and sensitive information. Please, check the sender of any email that might be suspicious, look at any URL or attachment before clicking.
Just stay vigilant and have a great 2019.