Lockdown will last until at least May 11, and remote working has become the norm. With employees working from home, hackers are taking advantage of their reduced vigilance to attack their companies. How can you limit the risks of remote working? Our Expert Squad has the answers.
Overview of protective measures when working from home
1. Follow the guidelines of your Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
Following the guidelines of your CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) seems obvious. However, this is not always done, even though it is essential, as Jonas Desoche, a cybersecurity engineer, points out. It is therefore important to strictly comply with the security rules and procedures put in place within the company... This is true even if the protections provided by your tool seem ill-suited to your use, time-consuming, or limiting to your activity. Two-factor authentication, secure password management, and the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) are useful prerequisites that are generally shared by companies.
2. Separate professional and personal activities
In addition to optimizing time and workspaces, separating professional and personal use is essential when it comes to cybersecurity. Liès Fermas, a cybersecurity consultant , reminds us that work computers must be used strictly for professional purposes. Using them for personal use poses numerous risks for the company. Receiving personal emails, browsing personal websites (shopping, news, entertainment, social media, etc.), downloading attachments or multimedia files are all risks for work equipment... And therefore serious threats to the company's cybersecurity.
On the other hand, your personal computer does not have the same protection measures and will be an open door to the professional data that you read, store, or use on it. Restricting usage, therefore.
3. Beware of phishing! Protect yourself from email attacks
Phishing attempts are on the rise, says Quentin Mollard. Cybercriminals often use the coronavirus to attract their victims' attention. Some of them impersonate major international organizations such as the World Health Organization or UNICEF. Reminder of basic precautions: Don't click on everything / check the sender / use antivirus software on attachments / pay attention to style and spelling... If in doubt, call the sender to check that they are indeed the source of a suspicious email.
4. Managing your emotions
Whether on social media, news sites, or via email, it is important to maintain a certain distance from the information you receive before sharing, clicking, acting... and falling into a trap. Jordan Assouline, Technical Evangelist, notes that hackers work on emotional factors to attack, whether by email or text message. According to several international cybersecurity agencies, cybercriminals are exploiting internet users' anxiety to encourage them to click and are capitalizing on fears related to the pandemic.
Basic reminder: if a message appeals to your fears, your personal satisfaction, uses flattery, the lure of financial gain, or anger, there is surely something fishy going on.
5.Contaminated? I'm quarantining my workstation.
Viruses, malware, and ransomware are, unfortunately, inevitable. If you notice any unusual behavior on your PC, disconnect from all networks and immediately contact your Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
6. Bonus: get trained in cybersecurity
Why not boost your cybersecurity knowledge with the ANSSI MOOC? Free until April 2021, discover the fundamentals of cybersecurity.
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