Make your work life a bit more secure with these 5 basic habits

Don’t rely solely on hope or luck when it comes to the security of your confidential documents or devices—implement the habits below into your daily life to ensure that you stay cyber secure at all times.

Practicing them will make it less likely that you will fall victim to an unexpected hack or will let unauthorized activity on your accounts go unnoticed for too long. Here are 5 things you should do regularly to improve your work life:

Click selectively

Knowing the exact source of emails and where they will lead you to once you click on them isn’t always easy. This is why it’s important to instil the habit of being selective when it comes to the kinds of emails you open and the links you are willing to click through to. There is an abundance of information constantly being hurled at us online that can make it easy to ignore any red flags and accept all links at face value rather than keeping in mind that hackers are always trying to prey on unsuspecting users. Make a conscious effort to stop and think before you click.

Update devices when prompted

Many users have the common fear that if you update your devices regularly then the new software will make your smartphones or laptops slower than they were before. While this may be true in some cases, it is also important to understand that every software update serves a purpose when it comes to the security of your device. Manufacturers are looking out for your best interest by fixing any bugs within the security that they might not have recognized before and are making it easy to maintain your security from the comfort of your home.

Yes, waiting for an update to finish is annoying, but by turning them into a habit rather than a punishment you will have the peace of mind knowing your accounts will remain safe the longer you use your device.

Make backing up data instinctive

We’ve all been through the scenario where, after a long and intensive session of working, drafting up a document, finishing up that university essay, or forgetting to store your confidential information in a secure way, your device crashes or there’s been an unexpected hack that seems too severe to ignore. Give yourself the peace of mind to focus on what’s important and make backing up your data regularly an instinctive habit rather than an afterthought that might be too late to do any good.

This can be as simple as hitting save on your report every few minutes to ensure that if your computer crashes all the recent changes will be retrievable, or as complex as storing and sharing sensitive company data within a secure virtual data room so as to avoid any unwanted third parties gaining access to the information.

Cover your webcam

While having your webcam hacked might be less severe than having company documents disclosed without your authorization, it is still a concern, especially on personal devices. The last thing you should want is to have your movements unknowingly tracked and potentially used against you in some way. As a safety measure, cover up your webcam when not in use and rest assured that even if your device were to be hacked without your knowledge, it won’t affect the privacy within your home.

Regularly monitor your accounts

In order to really know the level of security you have online it is important to make it a habit to regularly monitor your accounts—personal and professional. By doing this you will be able to catch any unauthorized activity that might be going on before it’s too late or recognize what aspects of your security are lacking in order to improve them.

If you are using a virtual data room to store and share documents during complex transactions, entering the data room regularly will help you recognize any permission settings that should be adjusted or document access that should be disabled in order to maintain the utmost security at all times.