With working from home becoming increasingly normalised in 2022, makeshift workspaces can be anything from a home office, a kitchen, converted study and much more. Working across new kinds of workspaces means that you may not have access to the security and comfortability provided onsiite my your Managed IT Services company. One of the biggest risks of working remotely is public WiFi and home networks. This includes working from home during the lockdown or at a café or airport in normal times.
Public or guest WiFi is WiFi that is generally free. It is also usually not protected by a password and can be connected to by anyone. Free public WiFi is usually offered in high traffic areas such as:
For people working on-the-go, public WiFi seems like an attractive alternative to using your phone hotspot or paying for a USB 4G/5G service. However, because public WiFi is often unsecured it can be accessed by anyone. This means the network can be lurking with hackers and cyber attacks waiting to happen.
Like public wifi, working from home on your home network may also be problematic. Home networks are nowhere near as secure as an office network, particularly Managed WiFi that is backed by your MSP IT Services Provider. Here are some common threats to home networks that can create vulnerabilities:
Weak passwords – having a memorable password may be handy when having to recall it yourself, but if a password is memorable, there’s a chance its also easy to guess. Passwords are recommended to be over 14 characters, a mix of upper and lower cases letters and including numbers and special characters.
Unknown activity from WiFi users – Even if you practice safe browsing and cyber security habits, you cannot be sure that the other users on your home network do too. Viruses can be picked up from dodgy emails or websites by anyone on your home network and soon infect your device.
Free or unprotected WiFi can easily be hijacked and could lead to your device, accounts and data being compromised. Here are some common risks that occur from public or compromised WiFi:
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Milnsbridge’s comprehensive Managed WiFi solutions focuses on optimal performance, reliability, security and scalability to give your business a competitive edge. Whether you’re working in an office, from home or on-the-go, Milnsbridge’s Managed WiFi solutions will keep your network reliable and secure. Additionally, if your business chooses to run an additional guest WiFi network, Milnsbridge will fully optimise it in light with our Secure Operating Environment standards (SOE) so that users of the guest network need not worry about potential breaches. You can read more about Managed WiFi.
Working from home on potentially unsafe home networks could be risky for your business and its data. Milnsbridge have comprehensive work from home solutions including solutions tailored to establish VPN’s. It also includes remote access software for team members. This reduces the risk of infected or compromised home networks to threaten security for businesses.
Partnering with a Managed IT Services provider such as Milnsbridge ensures that your network and devices are all secure. Our Managed Security services and Secure Operating Environment practices include best in business anti-virus, email spam protection, EDR software and much more to proactively detect and shut down attacks should they arise. Similarly, two factor authentication in conjunction with good password practices can reduce the risk of your accounts being compromised should that occur on public wi-fi. You can read more about Managed Security Managed Cyber Security.
Milnsbridge specialises in cloud managed wi-fi, security and work from home solutions. If you are interested in discussing IT Support Services, call Milnsbridge today on 1300 300 293.
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