Remote Worker Security Guide
Protect your devices, accounts and information while working remotely. When your office is wherever you happen to be, the usual corporate IT safety net often isn't there — these are the gaps worth closing yourself.
Secure your home network
- Change the router's default admin password — it's the first thing an attacker on your network will try.
- Use WPA3 (or WPA2 at minimum) Wi-Fi encryption, and a strong Wi-Fi password of its own.
- Keep router firmware updated; many routers can auto-update.
- Put smart-home/IoT devices on a separate guest network from your work laptop, if your router supports it.
Public Wi-Fi discipline
Coffee shops, airports, and co-working spaces are convenient and also the most common place for traffic interception. Use a VPN whenever you're on a network you don't control, and avoid logging into sensitive accounts (banking, admin panels) on networks you don't trust even with a VPN running.
Device hygiene
- Enable full-disk encryption (BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on Mac) in case a laptop is lost or stolen.
- Lock your screen automatically after a short idle period — especially important working from cafes or shared spaces.
- Keep work and personal accounts on separate browser profiles or browsers to reduce accidental data mixing.
- Physically cover your webcam when not in use, and be aware of what's visible/audible on video calls in shared or public spaces.
Account & access security
- Use a password manager and 2FA on every work-related account, not just personal ones.
- Be extra cautious of phishing that impersonates internal tools (Slack, HR systems, IT helpdesk) — remote workers are a common social-engineering target since verifying identity in person isn't an option.
- Log out of company systems on shared or family devices; don't save work passwords in a browser on a device others use.
Data handling
Store work files in the systems your employer provides (cloud drive, approved storage) rather than personal cloud accounts or USB drives, and confirm your company's policy on where sensitive data is allowed to live before you improvise your own system.
For the underlying fundamentals, start with our Cybersecurity Starter Kit.