Computer Security Begins at Home

While everyone is aware of the importance of good information security measures in the office, these are often overlooked when an employee works from home, whether on a permanent or occasional basis. Dangers range from inadequate virus protection on a laptop or home computer, to the risk of confidential data being exposed to unauthorised users, or even a breach of the company's computer network if accessed remotely.

To counter these risks, there are a number of security measures which should be taken when working from home or off-site:

• Treat company property and/or data as you would in the office, according to company information security procedures
• Do not allow a laptop issued for business purposes to be used by family or friends
• Ensure that laptops are kept secure at all times, and protect access with a boot-up password
• Do not use the same computer for both business and personal use; or, where this is not possible, store company data on a separate disk with secure access
• Valid licences must be obtained for any software used at home to avoid a breach of Software Licensing laws
• Ensure that adequate virus protection software is installed on any computers used at home
• Password protect all sensitive business documents stored on laptops or home computers
• When connecting remotely to an office network, use a dial-back facility for added security, and always investigate the reason for failed access (your username may already be in use by an unauthorised person)

For further information on the above security issues and recommended actions, please refer to the following S.O.S. topics:

• Working from Home or Other Off-Site Location (010404)
• Day to Day Use of Laptop/Portable Computers (010408)
• Accessing Your Network Remotely (030103)
• Controlling Remote User Access (020112)