Countless things have changed within our individual worlds over the past several months. Some no longer have a commute, while others face turbulence each day on the frontlines. For those of us who are now calling a card table, dining room, or basement hideaway our office, there are a few key differentiators you should keep in mind while telecommuting.
Use secure cloud-based applications to share files instead of email.
With the love and hate relationship of email, another twist is now added to the mix when servers and documents are no longer as easily accessible. When you do need to transfer a file from one person or the other, reach out to your IT department if applicable to see how they prefer you to work within their systems. For small businesses without a dedicated team, we recommend using cloud-based services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, ShareFile, One Drive, etc. to securely send documents. Unfortunately, with a large variety of email providers, many of your contacts could be on different systems, and each will only allow such a bandwidth for incoming data. By utilizing a cloud-based app you could save time while also keeping your files safe and secure during transfer.
Always Use a Passcode for Your Business Video Conferencing
With the recent
misuse of Zoom highlighted in the news, its even more important to ensure your conversations are not being heard by those outside of your invitation. To keep unwanted visitors from popping in on important discussions, use a passcode for entry to the video conference, sending it out with your meeting invite when planning calls. This simple action can deter potential cybercriminals from gleaning valuable information from your meetings and potentially using it against you or your company at a later date.
Set-up a VPN if You Choose to Work Remotely
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a highway of sorts from your dedicated home computer to the computer you would typically use at your normal office setting. This digital highway ensures you’re the only person utilizing this connection, and creates barriers from other outside persons trying to get in. Should you need to work inside documents within a company server, digital database, or other protected internal area, creating a VPN is a practical necessity. Additionally, a VPN will allow you to expand your work capabilities from what is located specifically on your home computer and open your workstation to the file systems you would normally have while in your office setting.
Stay Vigilant for Cybercriminals and Potential Fraud
Whether its an email that just doesn’t sound right, or an ad for a stimulus advancement, there are numerous situations you may come across that should raise concern. If a red flag pops up during your day, recognize that it may be out of the norm, and report it to your IT department if applicable. As always, we recommend NOT clicking on anything should it look suspicious, and if it seems to be coming from someone you think you know, its best practice to reach out to them on the contact information you currently have instead of following any phone numbers or emails within the flagged email or ad. This simple act of awareness can go a long way in helping both you and your company stay safe and secure as we continue to navigate through COVID-19.
While we continue to move through these crazy times together, we at Lincoln Savings Bank will continue to provide you with the information you need. For assistance with your personal or commercial accounts, please reach out through our dedicated hotline (800) 588-7551, or call your
local LSB branch.
One day at a time, one step at a time, we’ll get through this together.
Lincoln Savings Bank. Member FDIC.