COVID-19 has certainly put a damper on our economy and our workforce. Many of today’s companies have had to lay off workers while others have required their employees to work from home. In today’s home office environment, employees talk with their co-workers or clients from their homes via their home network, utilizing computers and video cameras as well as their phones. The audio/visual world has grown exponentially over the last few months with applications such as Zoom, WebEx, Skype for Business and GoToMeeting, to name a few.
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he quality of these virtual meetings depends on the bandwidth of the internet connection coming into an employee’s home. Traditionally, cable modems have been the fastest connections but now they are second to fiber. If working from home utilizing video, voice and data, one typically does not want to use DSL or satellite connections as these make for slow speeds and poor-quality connections.
I would say the biggest concern about working from home is security. The challenge for companies is to prevent penetration into their network or an employee’s computer system. The main risks from working remotely are unsecured mobility issues when using mobile phones, phishing by hackers, and unsecured networks at home. Many people working remotely may share computers or utilize their work computers for personal use as well, opening themselves up to a security breach. Companies need to make sure they have enough VPNs (virtual private networks) to accommodate all of their employees working remotely.
An employee usually connects to their work server/network from home using a VPN, which is a secure way to access necessary work information. However, it is still important to have strong passwords and rotate them often. Do not use the same password for multiple accounts and consider using a password manager program. Another password security measure is the utilization of Two-Factor Authentication. Most accounts offer this as a standard feature, and it requires you to input a one-time code that is sent to your mobile phone after you log in from your computer. Remember, never take it for granted that you are safe. Try to ensure you have the proper measures in place to ward off a would-be hacker. Most home networkers have encrypted routers but to make it even more secure, you should put in place some of the following measures:
Change your router name and password (quarterly)
Change the network name (quarterly)
Change the network password (quarterly)
Do not broadcast your SSID (network name)
Make sure your firewall is enabled
Update your router’s firmware (make sure router has latest update)
Utilize WPA2 for your router security (if older router, then upgrade it)
Filter MAC Addresses (anything connecting to your router has a MAC Address)
MAC Addresses you do not recognize, block from your router.
When you utilize video meetings via Zoom, I am sure you ask yourself “Are they secure?” Like any platform, Zoom meetings can be hacked, although it is unlikely. Zoom utilizes a nine-digit code to get into their meetings so if that code is not made public, you should be okay. Zoom was supposed to deploy AES-256 encryption which would make video calls very secure, but instead, an AES-128 key was deployed. This is substandard to the AES256.
So, to answer your question, “Are you secure?” I would say, yes, for the most part. Pay attention to the steps I mentioned earlier, and you will be fine. We are now operating in unfamiliar territory and we must adapt to these changes. Fortunately, there is help for companies and employees.
Article by Richard D. Hinkley Jr., GM – Link-Tel, Inc. Link-Tel is a total IT solutions provider in Holly Springs. They handle voice service, networking, IP access control, A/V rooms, video production and more. Address: 280 Premier Dr. Suite 113, Holly Springs. Phone: (984) 600-0244. Email: sales@link-tel.net. Website: www.link-tel.net.
