- Watch Out for Phishing Scams
Last week the FBI reported a series of Phishing using fake links and websites around COVID information. These types of scams are highly effective since users are often so motivated to get timely information, that they do not carefully check the source of the information. Users need to always be diligent in verifying the legitimacy or E-mail addresses or links prior to clicking. - Make Sure Operating System & Patches are Current
Any device used to connect to corporate resources should be updated with a manufacturer supported operating system and fully patched. Microsoft machines should be running Windows 10 operating systems, and Apple Devices should be running MAC OS Mohave. - Antivirus & Anti-Malware
While very rare on company machines, it is not uncommon to find home or personal machines with outdated or missing Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware software. Any machine connecting to your company network must have a current version of Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware with the latest updates. - Secure Your Home Router
Many Internet providers conduct automatic firmware and security updates, but it is wise to contact your provider to verify your router has the latest updates. While you have the Internet provider on the phone, have them walk you through changing the default administrator name and password on the router (which is extremely easy for hackers to guess). - Disconnect VPN’s While Not in Use
When working on via a remote VPN connection, a user’s home network becomes and extension or your office’s network. (Think of it like pulling a really long network cable from your office to their home.) During active VPN sessions whatever vulnerabilities that reside on the remote users network can be used by hackers to access your company network. While many VPN solutions will automatically close after a period of inactivity, users should make a point to close VPN connections when they are not actively working.