Working Securely During COVID-19

Information from the Cuyahoga County Department of Information Technology

Many employees are working remotely due to COVID-19. As we stay home to protect against the further spread of the virus, take these precautions to protect you and your family in order to stay safe and secure online.

You are the best defense: Attackers have learned that the easiest way to get what they want is to target you! They want your passwords and any personal information they can get. Attackers will attempt to do this via phishing emails, text messages, phone calls, etc. you name it. Remember your security best practices and look for the red flags (grammatical errors, typos, urgency, sender's address etc.).

Home Network: Securing your wireless network is a key part of protecting your home. We recommend the following steps to secure your network:

Change your default network password
Make your password strong and different from any other password you have
Only allow people that you trust on your home network
Be cautious of listening devices (ALEXA, RING, NEST, SIRI, etc.)

Passwords: Create strong passwords.

The more characters it has, the stronger it is.
Use a passphrase - This is a combination of words that you’ll likely remember. Example: Rem0t-W0rkDay$-Y@Y!
Use unique passwords - this means a different password for every site/device.
Store your passwords in a secure method.
Leverage Multifactor Authentication (MFA) where you can.

Updates: Attackers are constantly looking for new vulnerabilities in the software you're using. Make sure your computer, mobile devices, programs and apps are running the latest software version.

Family: While sharing is caring, don’t share your work-related devices with children, family or friends. They can accidentally erase or modify information, or, perhaps even worse, infect your devices. It's not a good security best practice to use your work devices for personal use.