The Remote Worker's Guide to Keeping Your Device Secure on Any Network

Working at a cafe, then working at home at night, then a hotel the following week. Each switch is a little risky. Until there's a problem, most remote workers don't give it a second thought.

Remote Work Has Changed the Security Equation

Yesterday, it was the IT departments who had control of the network for a few years. Now they don't. Staff members log in from kitchens, airport lounges, coworking and hotel rooms, sometimes the same day.

About one in four of Gallup's surveyed employees who are able to work remotely also work from home full time, while a larger share works from home part time. That change has one implication – the responsibility for security has shifted from the server room to your own hands.

The Real Risk of "Any Network"

Public Wi-Fi seems safe. It rarely is. Research on hotspot behavior has repeatedly shown that the majority of people enter the network without inquiry whether it is a legitimate network or not, they only want to use the internet.

This environment is ideal for fake "evil twin" hotspots, unencrypted traffic and man-in-the-middle attacks. It only takes a little skill for a hacker to create a fake wireless network whose name is similar to the name of your hotel.

Start With the Right PC Software

Without the right tools behind good habits, then good habits are only as effective. The typical components of a modern security stack for remote working are:

• A new antivirus and real-time scanning solution
• A real firewall, not one that you install and forget about.
• A VPN that is capable of encrypting your connection on any network you are connected to.

Also, if you have a choice, choose secure alternatives. For example, you can communicate via Discord or Talk via a secure video connection. A more privacy-friendly option is joining a private chat session on Callmechat. Simply put, private video chat means minimal data is required upon registration, and even that data won't be publicly accessible. Similar options are common: Google or DuckDuckGo, WhatsApp or Signal, Chrome or Tor.

Why Computer Optimization Also Means Better Security

People forget this: optimization of the computer is not just about speed. If you have a lot of programs not being used and background processes that you're not paying attention to, it makes the machine harder to track and more difficult to exploit.

A lot of software is outdated and has outdated components that have known vulnerabilities. Cleaning up your system, removing unused software, reviewing startup programs, removing junk files, etc. reduce the number of hiding spots for malware.

Update Everything, All the Time

It's tedious. No one likes to restart halfway through a task to get an update. But year after year, year after year, unpatched software is one of the most frequent ways in which attackers are able to get in.

Enable automatic updates for your operating system, browser, and all PC applications that you use every day. It's not the sexiest security measure, and it's also one of the most effective.

Passwords Alone Won't Save You

It used to be sufficient to have a strong password. It isn't anymore. Verizon's annual data-breach study, which has been underway for years, continues to reveal that credential theft figures make up a large portion of verified data breaches.

The two things that most of this are cured with are using a password manager that creates various usernames and passwords for each of these and using multi factor authentication whenever it is available. Combined, they prevent the majority of the “canned” credential attacks from beginning.

Encrypt and Back Up Your Data

Encryption is what makes the difference when it comes to your laptop if it is stolen, between you getting your files or a paper weight that costs the thief a lot of money. The full disk encryption features are already present in both Windows and macOS, and they're used by most people just not by them.

The backup is important as well. Ransomware attacks have seen a significant rise over the last few years, and the only way to truly insure against ransomware is to have a backup that is located external to the ransomware, such as an external drive or another cloud-based account.

Phishing Traps: Don’t Take the Bait

You’ll get an email. “Urgent: Your payroll information has been updated. Click to review.” It arrives during a deep-work session. Your guard drops. You click. The link mimics a Microsoft login page so perfectly you barely blink. You type your password. You’ve just handed over the keys. 

Slow down. Hover over links. Inspect sender addresses—that “m” in “rnicrosoft.com” isn’t an “m” at all. If something feels pressured or odd, verify via a completely separate channel. Call the person. Slack them. Do not reply to the email. And never run PC software that an unexpected pop-up urges you to download. That “driver updater” or “virus scanner” alert inside your browser is the criminal. Legitimate warnings never appear that way.

Building Habits That Travel With You

These habits are the ones that stick, and security tools help. When connecting to new networks always ask yourself, is this the network I would trust with my banking password? Otherwise, as a treat!

Running a VPN service in the background, updating your PC software, and carrying out a routine optimization pass all go hand in hand and follow you wherever you go, be it to work or to a cafe or indeed to an airport gate.

Final Thoughts

This does not involve entering the realm of security experts. This needs consistency: update regularly, encrypt your data, use a password manager, and assume that all strange networks are listening. With that, the network you are connected with isn't the only thing that determines your safety.