Workplace safety is a well-practiced measure taken to keep you and your employees out of harm’s way. But, as we’re living in a time where online learning, remote working, and virtual meetings continue to grow and thrive amid the Coronavirus pandemic, have you ever considered the safety of your home office? Discover five essential ways to keep your home office safe— from boosting cybersecurity to keeping the doors locked— so the health and well-being of you, your family, and your remote employees are a top priority.
5 Office Safety Tips for Your Home
As work-from-home scenarios are becoming more common in this digital age of business, it’s crucial to have a plan-of-action for keeping you and your belongings safe while at home. Ensuring your home office security is something you can feel good about will help you focus and work to the best of your ability through virtual meetings, remote conference calls, and even online learning.
Although working remotely may look slightly different from in-house settings, treat your home office security as you would in the workplace. Safety protocols and procedures are set in place in the office to maintain the protection and well-being of others, so why not ensure the same protection in your home?
#1. Use Strong Passwords
An easy way to set yourself up for success in terms of your home office safety is to create strong passwords for all of your physical devices and sensitive accounts. Cybersecurity is essential for remote employees, so using a password manager to ensure you’re crafting a secure combination of lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters is a great start.
#2. Invest in Physical Security Measures
Although locking your doors is the first step in keeping your home office safe, it’s worth your while to invest in more advanced physical security measures for ultimate home office security. Smart home technology is becoming a household staple globally with such innovative features, and doorbell cameras are no different. With intercom capabilities, installing a doorbell camera allows you to monitor who is coming in and out of your home right from your smartphone, giving you extra peace of mind, especially when you’re OO(H)O. Knowing who’s at your door before you open it can give you an added sense of security while you work remotely.
On the more conventional end, lockable doors and cabinets in or around your workspace are easy to install and prevent others from getting into sensitive information or valuable work possessions without much thought or effort on your end! Products like barricade locks are simple to use and practical for securing doors, while hideaway helper shades block out small windows or openings in your office.
#3. Keep Software Up to Date
Mitigate ransomware attacks by keeping software, operating systems, and applications up to date. Be sure to utilize automatic security updated on your web browsers and tun on all automatic system updates for your devices. By patching outdated software, you can reduce vulnerabilities for hackers to access our device, thus increasing your IT security. With software updates also comes device backups— also extremely important for protecting the information on your devices.
#4. Implement Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor (or multi-factor) authentication is an added layer of protection to prevent others from logging into your device. It gives you peace of mind that sensitive work material remains for you and your eyes only. Besides entering your username and password, two-factor prompts you to use an additional authentication method, like entering a Personal Identification Code often sent to you by backup email or text message. This method ensures that no one without that PIC can gain access to your devices, programs, or sensitive information.
#5. Stick to The Basics
Whether you want to improve your defense against malicious attacks on your computer, server, networks, and data or protect your physical space and belongings, home office security begins with the often-simple but always-effective basics. Standard safety practices, like the ones mentioned above, are foolproof ways to ensure a well-protected home office space. First-aid and bleed control kits are also practical yet effective solutions that will assist you in stressful situations, so you’re prepared no matter where you’re working.
Your Comforting Solution for Home Office Safety
At School Safety Solution, our priorities lie in your safety. Ensuring the highest level of security and protection, whether you’re in your workplace or your home office, is a way to tell yourself and other valuable members of your team that you care about their well-being— something we need now more than ever in times of remote communication and digital business.
For simple, fast, and practical safety solutions, products like barricade locks work efficiently to properly secure doors for not just students and teachers in school but you, your family, and your belongings at home. Our hideaway helper shades are another effective tool to utilize within your home office space as a simple solution to blocking out small windows or openings. For an added sense of security, invest in bleed control kits to remain calm and prepared in times of urgency.
To further discuss more home office security options or other security solutions, our team of experts is happy to assist you. Give us a call at 888.733.0406 or send us an email at info@schoolsafetysolution.com for more information.