We’ve researched ways you can stay safe online and also spoke to Wellington Place occupiers, Netpremacy, for their expert advice
Since the beginning of lockdown, it’s become more apparent than ever just how much we rely on online platforms in our day-to-day lives. The world has been gripped by new digital technologies, helping many to work and learn from home (research by Statista shows that there were almost 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide as of October 2020 – a whopping 59% of the global population). However, whilst there are many upsides to the online world, we must also remember that the internet still poses risks for e-safety and security.
That’s why this Safer Internet Day (9th February 2021), we share some top tips from Google Cloud Premier Partner, Netpremecy, on implementing an e-safety strategy into the workplace.
What is Safer Internet Day
The goal of Safer Internet Day is simple – to create a safer, happier and better informed online world. Organised by Insafe, Safer Internet Day is celebrated in approximately 170 countries worldwide. It aims to raise awareness of online safety concerns and emerging technology threats, from cyberbullying to hacking.
Why is cybersecurity such a hot topic in the current climate?
Cybersecurity is of course nothing new, but with many people cancelling holidays and personal phones being used for business calls, home and work life have become more merged than ever before, making it difficult to set boundaries
In his TED Talk on everyday cybercrime, Cyber Security Specialist, James Lyne, reminds us that criminals are watching us online and ready to exploit our trusting nature. Next time you have 15 minutes to spare have a watch to discover how even the simplest daily tasks can pose a risk.
How can you improve your social media e-safety?
Over 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide in 2020. Research by Global WebIndex shows that this number is increasing every year, with users now “spending an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes per day multi-networking across an average of 8 social networks and messaging apps.”
To help protect your personal information online, follow these best practices for social media:
- Try not to publish any information about your identity e.g. phone number, details of your home, school or workplace. Even posts about your upcoming holidays can tell burglars when you won’t be at home.
- Ensure that privacy and security settings are enabled, allowing only your friends to view your profile.
- Manage your friends carefully, only accepting friend requests from people you know personally.
- Use strong passwords to limit the risk of hackers gaining access to your channels (you should also use different passwords for each channel – if a hacker guesses one, you don’t want them accessing all of your other accounts!)
How can employers improve cybersecurity at work?
With much of the country working remotely, you may be worried about the security of your company’s data. Here are a number of top tips for precautions you can take to protect your privacy in a remote work environment, courtesy of Netpremacy.
- 2 Step Verification (2SV) – Setting up Google 2-Step Verification gives your documents double the protection. Whenever you sign into Google you’ll need to enter a password, then a code will automatically be sent to your phone before you can access data. As standard, Netpremacy enforces 2SV for all accounts and employees.
- Device Management Solutions – Ensure all of your data is stored securely in Google Cloud, as this allows employees to access company data remotely from any device – all while monitoring location, data usage and much more.
- Enterprise Grade Tools –
- Employees should explore Google’s Security Centre for in-depth reporting, alerting and monitoring on external file sharing, spam, and plenty of other metrics – all in a single dashboard.
- DLP (data loss prevention) software helps to protect data in the workplace.
- App access control is also essential to protect your data from access by third-party apps.
- Context aware access gives you additional control over which apps a user can access, helping to achieve the Beyondcorp zero-trust model for devices accessing your data.
Where can people look for more information?
If you’d like to get more information and advice from Netpremacy on how to ensure your security while remote working, you can read their helpful blog here.
There are also plenty of resources, initiatives and charities designed to support you if you’re in need of help. If you’re looking for more information on e-safety, or need someone to call, please visit the following links:
Thank you to Netpremacy for taking part in this blog post.
